Analysis of Clyffords Artworks - Essay Example

The work depicts an agricultural setting characterized by its ordinary ongoings and machine-like forms. Probably the latter forms are either harvesting or tilling machines mainly utilized to prepare the land. This is evident from the black and curved objects protruding close to the busy man who appears to operate a machine, hence forming the artwork’s focal point.

In this artwork, Clyfford extensively utilizes red, yellow, black, grey and white colors besides their varied shades. Diverse color shades characterize the forefront space and the sky. Mostly, these shades help the audience to unveil the time of the day and season, which the artist features in his work. The forefront mixtures of both white and grey or bluish shades form snow-like objects, which characterize the artist’s early childhood region. In addition, the long protruding object from the left corner to the right casts a shadow beneath it whereby according to its inclination proves the time was in the afternoon.

In his effort to depict diverse objects comprising this artwork, Clyfford skillfully utilizes both the color and “ripping off” method. The latter is evident in the forefront objects whereby the artist employs several color layers before using a chisel-like tool to make white patches that resemble snow. The use of this technique is also evident on the protruding and extending object’s side in the background. However, the artist on the background object preferred utilizing grey color instead of white or other varied shades similar to the forefront objects. This is to show a demarcation between the snow and the vertical wall linking other structures, which the man seems to cling to while undertaking his activities.

In this artwork, illumination emanates from the left side as indicated by the way the long and protruding object in the background casts a shadow in the opposite direction. Besides, the forefront forms and red clouds above the background confirm that the light’s source is on the left side. Illumination besides helping the audience to unveil what could be the time of the day, emphasizes the portrait’s depth. This is via varying its intensity whereby in the background illumination’s strength seems to fade giving the objects to stand out with their original colors. In addition, the artist offsets the intensity via utilizing heavy brush strokes while painting the background objects. Clyfford’s upbringing and early childhood in the Alberta farms significantly influenced his later works. This is evident in the above portrait where the main objects comprise agricultural machines besides large landscapes characterized by their numerous and varied activities. The busy man operating a machine represents routine activities mostly found in Alberta’s countryside. Read More