LOREN FRIESEN GALLERY

GRANDMAS PICKING FLOWERS: the artist's view

SKU: 3

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A solid, vertical structure (composition) supports a cascade of small, sprinkled shapes in a loose X-pattern: White flowers and red flowers from top-left flow downward to the bottom-right; and white flowers, red flowers and patterns on a blue kimono flow downward from the top-right to the bottom-left. The X, which follows the lines of the grandmas' inside shoulders, crosses at the bouquet held by the right grandma. As well, there are randomly scattered patterns of leaves, fabric and small stones everywhere.

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As someone who visited my studio advised me many years ago: A solid compositional structure can support many details (even in a fairly random pattern).

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So these details are anchored by the two figures of the grandmas standing side by side–two solid pillars holding up the whole picture. This symmetrical composition could be predictable, but it is greatly enlivened by the interesting negative shape that runs down the middle between the two grandmas. Negative spaces can contribute as much to a picture as the objects themselves. You'll notice even more negative shapes between the grandmas and the edges of the picture. Creating all these negative shapes required a lot of care in placing the grandmas in relation to each other and in relation to the edges. So the composition is structured around 5 adjacent "columns": the 2 grandmas and the 3 vertical, background strips on either side of them. This was made possible by pushing out the left edge of the picture in order to create the left background strip.

 

Also, notice everything that is happening on the edges. The edges of my pictures are very active–so please don't attach a frame that would cover them. The edges of pictures have the potential for visual magic.

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The grandmas' clothing, each divided into three parts, creates a horizontal movement that breaks up the vertical predictability of the two figures standing side by side. The white aprons, the jackets, and the skirts are across from each other, as are the grandmas' faces and feet. But the brown jacket on the top-left resonates diagonally with the mauve skirt on the lower-right, somewhat breaking up the predictable pattern. These horizontal pairs of shapes counteract the verticals.
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The slight curve in which the grandmas' feet are arranged mirrors the curved edge of the large, flat stone at the bottom. This stone's curved shape exerts a subtle, upward force that elevates the grandmas visually and psychologically. The stone is also cut off by the bottom of the picture as though resting just inside the viewer's field of vision. This suggests that you the viewer are in the space of the picture.

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Rich colors and strong contrast between sunshine and shadow contribute significantly to the visual and emotional impact of the picture.

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What seems to be the relationship between these two women is very interesting to me. But those feelings tend to be more subjective* and personal to each viewer. So I will leave those thoughts to you. They are in contrast to the things I am describing about the composition, which are much more objective,** because you can verify them with your own eyes. They are describable because they are actually there to be seen.

 

Learning to see what is really there adds immeasurably to the enjoyment (and the making) of art. Of course I'm fallible and can misjudge what I see. But I am attempting to describe things that are actually there. So, art is not as subjective as many people assume. It's also true that: No words can make up for the emperor's invisible clothes. They're there or they're not!