Armor

Comment

Comment by Resident Curator on August 29, 2015 at 10:34am

Curator’s Comments:   

 

Armor presents as a formidable piece, despite the rather modest physical dimensions noted.  The proportion of the stately tree within the confinements of the picture plane no doubt contributes to its sense of strength and massive girth.  The subtle shifts within a relatively local color system are pleasing, and offer a faintly surreal or idealized scene.  The circular shapes on the ground are interesting geometric elements- and appear to align with the dangling fruit above.  I like the sparseness of the tree branches otherwise, as its twisted limbs offer a maze or web of lines.  I also feel as though the darker ‘sky’ behind and above the tree carries its own illusion of weight.  Because of the sectioning of the branches, one may induce the tree is holding up the darker sky.  This painting, because of its strong emphasis on single tree reminds me of iconographic inferences- grounded but not revealing roots as a metaphor for familial displacement, fruit as a symbol of generosity, etc.  Regardless of the intended visual language, the elemental structures imbue the natural landscape with a sense of purpose or underlying order.