I. Description
In this painting done by artist Lee Teter, one can see a dark-colored wall extending from end to end of the picture where countless names are engraved. Outside the wall, there is a man standing, his right arm is extended upward with his palm touching the wall, his head bowed down, his facial expression is that of a man grieving. His shadow covering a portion of the wall; his sleeves are rolled up to his elbow; he is wearing a black vest over a white collared long-sleeve shirt. On the other side of the wall, several soldiers are facing the wall, looking at the man on the opposite side; their expressions solemn. One is squatting, the others are standing; two of the soldiers have their left arms raised in such a way that they appear to be reaching out to the man on the other side. Above the wall are branches of trees with yellow leaves and a grayish colored sky. On the grass covered ground lay several objects including a small American flag, a piece of black cloth with white print, some flowers along the side of the wall. There, beside the man, is his earth-colored suitcase and his black coat on top of it
II. Analysis
Among all the objects that can be seen in this work of art, the most noticeable is the wall. The impact of its size, together the engravings on its surface create a feeling of encouragement to the viewer to discover what message it is trying to convey.
The shapes of the objects present in the painting vary in such a way that they create a harmonious effect. They appear organized and one will be able to identify each object and to distinguish one figure from another. The colors used which vary from shades of light gray to black, and the artist’s use of earth colors conform with the subjects, in such a way that they appear to be natural and not comic-like. The painter is able to clearly emphasize each form making the work appear life-like and even in its simplicity, an eye-catching one.
The glossy appearance of the wall is in contrast with the other objects in the background, making the man standing look like he is not part of the painting but rather a mere spectator. In terms of space and volume relationships of the artwork, they appear to be proportional making it look very natural and pleasant to the eyes.
III. Interpretation.
Generally, the work is very impressive; the artist did not fail to capture the artist part of me but also my personal perspective toward life. Upon seeing the work for the first time, I got impressed with the way the artist created his work – very natural, as if I was looking at a picture and not a painting. As I looked closely, and saw the expressions reflected on each man’s face, I got moved by the intensity of emotions I saw in them.
As I look again closely, I no longer see a piece of artwork but rather a scene which to seems to touch me from deep within my soul, like something deep inside me wants to cry out and reach out to them and comfort these people. My heart also goes out to the lone man who appears to be grieving, seemingly wanting to console his fellowmen who were trapped behind the wall of sorrow. The work conveys that life is sometimes full of hardships, that one must hang on to what little hope or faith he has because that very little thing he has can inspire you to continue fighting until the time comes and you soon be free of your sorrow and will finally experience joy
IV. Judgment
Teter’s work is an example of an expressive art. The artist is able to convey to the viewers his personal interpretation of the tragedy and pain brought about by Vietnam War using a work of art that is impressively captivating.
Bibliography
Teter, L. (2010). About reflections. http://www.leeteter.com/DetailsArt.aspx?
id=77.
No comments:
Post a Comment