formal critique

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Formal Critique
The leaf is a drape painting by a renowned artist Sam Gilliam. The artwork is considered one of the most important paintings for the artist because it marketed the beginning of a new era both in the industry and for Gilliam as an individual. The artwork was created in 1970 and has been showcased in different galleries in the United States and beyond. The leaf is made of various colors including both primary and secondary colors. The mixture of these colors gives the painting a modern look. The artist uses bright colors on the side of the painting and a mild mixture of colors at the bottom and the middle of the painting. The use of these bright colors at the edges helps to draw the attention of the audience to the entire painting. Moreover, the painting hangs on the ceiling without the support of stretchers. The upper part of the canvas is narrower than the bottom part to give the painting an ideal shape. The leaf is a very important piece even for modern artists because it inspires innovation and creativity for artists. Although the artist did not follow the conventional laws of creating painting at the time, the leaf is a very attractive peace that shows the wits and genius nature of the painter. The artist’s ability to play with colors and light makes the artwork very attractive and emotionally inspiring. The message that the artwork represents clearly to the world is that artists can use their creative abilities to go beyond the normal expectations of the industry.

Further, the leaf is a representation of artists’ freedom. By looking at the leaf, one gets the feeling that confining artists only serves to limit their creativity thus reducing their effectiveness in art creation.
The artist has used various elements in the creation of his artwork including line, form, color, mass, and texture to show his creativity and convey the intended message to the audience in the leaf drape painting. The lines used in the leaf symbolize those used in sculptures. The artist uses a linear approach of creating lines although the lines do not give any directional cues. The lines are straight along the ages and curvy within the artwork in the places where the artist intends to show a variation of shapes. The artwork is flowing freely creating a pyramid form and the formation of this form is enhanced by the fact that the painting does not hand on stretchers. As it is with sculptures and paintings, the lines along the edges help to define the shape of the artwork. The artist uses hues, a mixture of colors, in the creation of the leaf (Grinten 43). For instance, the artist uses both primary and secondary colors to create a rainbow appearance of the painting. Additionally, the colors of the artwork although evenly distributed, carry different intensity from place to place to create a mosaic kind of view. The artwork has a smooth texture propagated by the softness of the canvas and the aluminum dust that the painter used on top of the colors. The artist has matched the implied and the real texture of the artwork for uniformity purposes. Lastly, the artist uses color and shapes to give the artwork mass. The free flow and the pyramid look give The Leaf mass.
Repetition, balance, unity, and focal area principles are all used effectively in the creation of the artwork. The folding of the material creates a repetitive look where colors repeat themselves in a systematic way. The Leaf has a balanced look because the artist has used elements such as the lines and form to ensure that all sides of the painting are the same. For instance, the canvas is cut equally on both sides to bring balance across the edges. Moreover, the distribution of color and material is balanced on both sides, but the bottom section of the painting is larger than the top part of the same. The artist uses colors and contrast to create focal points throughout the painting (Prince 59). The blending of colors makes the painting unique as a whole. Blending the elements such as lines, color, and shape brings unity throughout the painting.
The work of Gilliam fits very well with other artworks presented at the museum because it is a representation of freedom of artists and the ability of painters to push their boundaries beyond the norm (Grinten 48). Further, the painting was created in 1970 a time that saw a new revolution in the art industry. Therefore, the painting is an indication of the transformation that art has seen over the years. The museum in which the painting is found celebrates the freedom of artists as well as the historical development of the industry; therefore, the leaf fits very well with the other works in that section of the gallery at David Kordansky.
The elements of art, the principles and the information provided by the gallery does not change my view of art, rather, it helps to bring a deeper understanding of how artists can stretch the traditional limits to create unique products. Art is supposed to represent a feeling and personal view of an artist; therefore, confining the artists limits their ability to explore their talents and express themselves through their works. The combination of different principles and elements can help artists to come up with new genres of art that reflect the society in a more precise way than sticking to the traditional approach that only serves to propagate old cultures. The leaf represents all these aspects. Modern artists should embrace these principles of freedom and pushing boundaries to display their genius nature and their wits through artwork. Art gives people the opportunity to communicate the unspoken message in a visual way. The information provided at the gallery about the leaf helps to expand my original view of the painting.

Works Cited
Grinten, E. F. Elements of Art Historiography in Medieval Texts: an analytic study. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, 2012. Print.
Prince, Eileen S. Art is fundamental: teaching the elements and principles of art in elementary school. Chicago, Ill: Zephyr Press, 2008. Print.