Works of Art I know - sculptures

Queenie II, Duane Hanson

This is a sculpture of an average woman who works as a janitor or a maid. It could be any person, and I think that was the message that the artist was sending, that it was just an average person, not a celebrity or a posed model, just any person you might see on the street. Hanson made the person look extremely realistic, in order to highlight the point that she is just an average person who has a life story that you might not be able to recognize just by looking at her. 

Works of Art I know

Mary Cassatt, American, 1901, Title: Sara in a Green Bonnet

 Joni Pienkowski, American, 1999 Title: Courtney

How are they similar and how are they different?:

The two paintings are similar because they both have the same subjects: young, smiling girls. They are also similar because they seem to highlight the innocence of the girls, using their smiles or the way they are dressed. They both display the children in happiness or contentment, so the mood is the same in both paintings. They are different because the one by Cassatt was done using brighter, and more, colors. That painting is much more vibrant and bright. 

How do you think the artist's visions are the same?:

They both seem to know the girls in the paintings, and show their personality through the way they are posed or the way that they are smiling. They both seem to enjoy painting the particular subjects.

Family Painting

Nancy and Olivia
Alice Neel, American

I think that the artist's point of view about family is that a family doesn't have to be the typical mother, father and two children, kind of family. It can be just a mother and child as well. I think that all that these two people have in the world is each other, which is a definition of family. A group of people who love each other.

This painting demonstrates the principle of design, emphasis. The artist is emphasizing the faces of the two people, because that is where the most detail is, and the mother's arm surrounds them, like a frame, so that you look there first. Another principle of design that the artist used is movement. You look at their faces first, but then you are led down by the mother's arms and legs, which are surrounding the baby. She seems to be trying to get as much of herself around the child as possible, as if she is trying to protect her.