Analyzing Art of My Own

This is my artwork. I had to write in the 3rd person for class, and I felt pretty awkward doing that.

The artwork is titled A Fleeting Grasp. The color palette of the work is almost monochromatic with the exception of the hues red, orange, and yellow. The width at which the image is presented is considerably less than the height, and when the photo is closely examined, it appears as if it could very likely be placed at any angle from this position while still looking appropriate. The main elements of the picture are two mirror images of a hand, an orb, and a long, otherworldly rectangular column that appears to be a window or portal of some form. This rectangular portal contains much of the image's hue shifts from red, to orange, to yellow. Also, within this rectangular area are a series of diagonal lines running the expanse of the rectangle's height. The orb in the image is positioned a distance considerably closer to one of the hands than the other. This placement of the orb and the gesture of the hands give a feeling of tension and semi-resolution depending on which of the hands the viewer is focused upon. The orb also seems to be made of glass, and the background as seen through it is flipped and distorted. The whole piece is high contrast with very stark transitions between dark and light throughout. It is this contrast that gives the picture its monochromatic feel. The image is its darkest near the mid point and at its lightest (from top to bottom) at the opposing extremes. If the picture is carefully examined, one can observe that space is warped at a point unspecified near the center making what is seen in the photo, something that is impossible naturally. There is a whole balance created by the contrast of the elements in the picture. The upper half of the image is simply a reflection of the lower half with the exception of the orb. The other objects in the image serve as a backdrop that present a vaguely familiar or distinguishable environment. 

The image appears to take place in an unspecified time, and the setting around the individual elements is vaguely familiar; that is, it looks as if it were set in a room. Placing the time of the piece would prove to be fairly difficult. The artwork is within the realm of surrealism. This assessment falls in line with the nature of the imagery presented in the photo as well as the artist's influence's, which include: Jerry Uelsmann, Remedios Varo, and Dora Maar. The imagery the artist employs represents an apparent struggle between two opposing abstract ideas. This can be perceived in the palpable desire for either of the two hands within the image to grasp upon the glass orb which is floating at varying (depending upon which hand your are looking at) distances from the hands. While there is clear intent, it is left up to the viewer to provide individual interpretation. Various meanings could be derived from the images by context of the struggle of the hands or even the title of the artwork. The artist very often links his artwork with quotes or references to other works by use of the title. This is done to direct viewer interpretation towards a specific end while trying to avoid confining the viewer's interpretation towards that end. The artist was raised Roman Catholic, but has expressed opinions and views that are diametrically opposed to that upbringing. He is someone who has labeled himself as an unquestioning agnostic atheist. The artist has voiced an affinity for the literary works of William Blake, Christopher Hitchens, Alan Watts, Robert Browning, Hervey Cleckley, John Milton, and Philip K. Dick. Other pieces of art by him include: New Christian Literature , And the World Outside Crept into My Life , Gutter Heart Twins, In the Forest for the Trees, and A Life in My Own.

The work I've spent a great deal discussing in this paper is of my own creation. I would rather not ruin anything by deconstructing it. I feel that would be a detriment to the creative process of observation. People put a great deal of themselves into the art they see, hear, and read. But – since I need to fill this page, I will do so. I feel like I've done enough damage as it is, and the point of the paper is to interpret. So, although I am the creator, this is simply my interpretation and explanation of a process, not an explanation of the artwork. It'd be impossible to do that since most of what I come up with happens spontaneously and without clear intent. I give my work meaning after it is completed. The piece is titled A Fleeting Grasp for a few reasons. It originates from a Robert Browning quote, “One's reach should exceed one's grasp else what's heaven for?” My interpretation of that quote is that men often strive to go after things they do not fully understand or what they could not possible hope to obtain. I have tried to represent this concept photographically with the help of some digital manipulation. One example of this, that I expect often goes unnoticed, is the warping of space into a lemniscate, meant to suggest infinity. This warp happens at the midpoint of the image. I have done my best to make a visual translation of written words. The artwork is literally and simply words turned to pictures. I've found that I think best when concepts are represented by images and that has become an extension of how I work. I am just a visual sort of person. I still would like to point out the following. In the creation process, I operated very much unaware of what I was trying to get at, but in the end, I got there anyway.