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We were asked to look at the following images in regards to the choice of content, medium, format and how it reflects its context in terms of era, fashion, mood, etc.

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Anthony Green

The image on the left: Mrs Madeleine Jocelyne with her Son, 1987 by Anthony Green. I think this piece is really interesting, and of the two, it’s my favourite. This piece is extremely unusual, however, the most unusual aspect of it is that the entire room is presented in the image. The artist has thrown the conventional idea of viewpoint and perspective to the wind, and has created a wildly abstract, but amazingly effective piece of art.

This piece is very busy, and on a first glance there seems to be a lot going on within it, although, when you look closer you see that it is simply a scene of a woman and her son in their living area. The features of the living room are all extremely angular, which, I think, gives the piece a psychedelic look. Looking at it is almost too much.

I love the colours used in this piece, as I think they complement each other really well. The whole scene seems very warm and comfortable, which is the mood I assume the artist was going for. On first appearances it’s not apparent, however, it’s a really beautiful and moving piece, created using a variety of soft and gentle materials. I’m not sure, but I think this adds to the sense of relaxation and contentment portrayed in the scene. The choice materials used in this were watercolour paints, oil pastels and pencils – smooth and easy materials, which suit the mood of the piece wonderfully.

The piece was created in 1987. Referring back to the colours again, I think many of the common colours of that particular decade are used within it. When looking at art from the 1900s, it seems that the later on in the decade, the bolder the colours used, as though the world is getting more and more comfortable and bold in our choices and ways in which we express ourselves. The 80s were a very outrageous and eccentric time, which shows in this piece. The abstract nature of it, the popping and vibrant colours, the style in which the living room is furnished, and even the colours that the subjects of the this lovely piece are wearing.

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Philip Pearlstein

The image on the right: Male Model with Kimono, Female Model with Mirror, 1985 by Philip Pearlstein. This image is hugely different from the previous one, in a great number of ways. The subjects are still two people, it’s still a very intimate creation, and I can see a great deal of features that provoke thought and inspiration.

I do like this piece, don’t get me wrong, but it doesn’t make me feel anything like the first one did. The realism is the aspect of this piece of art that strikes me the most – the use of tones, the perspective taken, and the feelings it may portray. I feel like it’s very obvious that this is an extremely intimate piece, however, I don’t feel warmth or love radiating from it. To me, it feels quite cold and almost hostile. I think this may be the positioning of those in it. Although their legs are laid out diagonally across the piece, and towards each other, I feel a tense atmosphere. The woman on the right looks quite rigid and uncomfortable, based on her posture, and the addition of her reflection in the mirror adds a great deal to the piece, as you can see her face doesn’t exactly look positive or as though she is happy. Adding this mirror detail in creates a lot of depth and I don’t think the image would be the same without that added detail.

The perspective taken is from behind the woman and slightly elevated, looking down upon the couple from an angle. The male subject’s face is hidden, which creates a deeper mystery – what has happened? What is the mood supposed to be? What’s going on?

In contrast to the previous piece, you can’t see the room that the couple are sat in, so you’re unable to make much judgement on their surrounding area. I feel that you would be able to make more judgement on the people in this image if you could have a little more insight into their living areas.

One thing that does support the decisions I made about this piece are the small amount of furnishings that you can see – the multicoloured checkerboard rug, the modern looking mirror and the shape/structure of the chair. I think this shows us that this is a fairly contemporary piece. The detail that brought me to this conclusion was predominantly the rug – the bold colours and the pattern scream 80s/90s. Without that small detail, I wouldn’t be sure what exactly the era was.

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David Hockney

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Whilst scouring the internet for other artists that focus on domestic interiors, I came across the wonderful and extraordinarily talented David Hockney.

I love these pieces that I found, and think that they are beautiful in a very unconventional way. The simplicity of them is charming and gives them an almost childlike appearance. I feel very relaxed when looking at these, and find that they have a calming energy. I think it has a lot to do with the subtle and uncomplicated colour scheme.

I wouldn’t need to know the era in which these images were created to know that they are modern, produced at some time in the 1990s. It’s very clear by the simplistic and effortless way in which the artist has formed it, and I think the sketchbook scribble appearance it has is very popular of art created in the 90s.

These pieces are created using lithography, a method of printing. This is not a technique that I’ve used in the past and I’m actually quite surprised to identify that these images were created using this method. It appears to me as though they artist used coloured pens or pencils.

Like Anthony Green, Hockney has taken a very abstract approach to these interiors and his perspective is very warped. Again, similarly to the the image Mrs Madeleine Jocelyne with her Son, I interpret the mood displayed in them to be very calm and comfortable. The images are not full and don’t seem very busy, but they project a warm and welcoming energy, which makes me enjoy looking at them all the more.

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