Assignment #3

As I walked into the McMaster Art Gallery I noticed right away that this place was beautiful. All of the art that was there was amazing to admire. I noticed that the masterpieces were in different categories. When you first walk in, looking to the right, you see the art of shapes. Different shapes are drawn and painted in these works of art. As you continue around the gallery you see how the different themes of shapes, animals and nature, people, and movement are portrayed around the walls of the gallery. There are paintings and drawings of trees, women, and dancers as well. I really enjoyed looking at all the different works of art done by many different people.

Describe: The piece of art that I chose to elaborate on was You Know Me Better Than I Know Myself:Removed But Still There By Melissa Cooke. This was a masterpiece of powdered graphite on paper. It came from Koplin Del Rio Gallery, Los Angeles in 2009. I chose to elaborate on this artwork because the second I saw it, it stood out to me. It had a feel to it that none of the other artworks did. It was a very large piece of art and took up most of the wall space from top to bottom. The colors were simple nothing bright just black, white, and a bit of grey shadowing. This piece of art was a photo of a young woman's face. Her hair and makeup is done as if for a big show or a party of some sort. She looks as though she is getting ready to go somewhere important.

Analyze: Melissa Cooke uses lines to make this artwork seem more real to life. She uses lines in the body to give the woman figure and lines in her lips to give them life. The lines of her collarbone and shoulders makes the woman seem fragile which adds much meaning to the life of the artwork. Cooke uses shape to make the eyes of the woman pop. By making them so round and large they seem to draw the attention of the viewer. Space is another important element in this work of art. Melissa Cooke uses space to make the woman seem very large. There is not much space around her and she takes up majority of the space in the mural. Texture is displayed in this artwork in the woman's hair, face, and shoulders. The artist uses texture to make her seem much more realistic. The principal of design, balance, was used in this artwork because the woman was off centered in the piece of work. Many artists use this as a key element of their artwork. The emphasis that Cooke uses is to bring the attention to the woman's face and eyes in this artwork.

Interpret: When I first looked at this artwork, it caught my attention. The girl seems to be looking for something. My attention is brought straight to her eyes. I think that she is getting dressed to go somewhere important but somewhere she isn't sure she wants to be. I feel that the girl in the artwork may not like the person she is becoming or the person she may be forced to be. I think she may have gotten herself into a relationship she doesn't like and now she is somehow forced to live a life that is not hers.She looks for something better and longs for it. The part of the title, Removed But Still There, makes you believe that she doesn't have what she wants. She has been removed from the world that she desires but still longs to be there.

Evaluate: I think that this is a beautiful piece of art. The artist did a wonderful job using the powdered graphite to make this the masterpiece that it is. I like how every little detail was carefully displayed. I think that Melissa Cooke is a great artist and I think that her ability to use only powdered graphite to shade and outline this girl to be so detailed is amazing. This was a beautiful piece of artwork and I am glad that I chose to elaborate on it.