UNIT 06 > Medium

The course website describes how:

The word ‘medium’ (plural ‘media’) refers to the substance used to make a particular art work. The range of media used in the art works featuring in this course is wide, including oil paint, animal carcasses, elephant dung, photographs, glitter and road signs. When analysing the relationship between techniques and effects in any painting you should note the medium from which it has been made. Ask yourself why the medium was chosen. Some helpful questions are:

- Does the medium impose any limitations on the way the artist works, or allow any particular effects?

- Is the medium used unconventionally or is the medium itself unconventional and, if so, does this contribute to the expressive effect of the art work?

- Does the medium used suggest a particular mood?

- Does the medium used prompt the spectator to read the work in a particular way?

In the following discussion, you'll explore each of these questions in more detail.

PLATE 3 > Chris Ofili, No Woman No Cry, 1998, acrylic paint, oil paint, resin, pencil, paper collage, Letraset, glitter, map pins and elephant dung on linen with two dung supports, 244 × 183 × 5 cm. (© Chris Ofili. Courtesy of Chris Ofili – Afroco and Victoria Miro Gallery. Tate Photography.)

PLATE 4 > Paula Rego, The Maids, 1987, acrylic on canvas backed paper, 214 × 244 cm. (Courtesy The Saatchi Gallery.)

Record the medium-related details that are given in the captions for The Maids (Plate 4) and No Woman No Cry (Plate 3).

UNIT 5 > Colour

5.1 Introduction

The course website provides a solid introduction to the concept of colour, describing how:

“Colour can have a range of effects on us as spectators: for example, it can have an emotional impact, or it can encourage us to read the art work in a particular way. Here, you'll look at a range of questions that might be asked of the use of colour, namely:

  1. Has a wide or narrow palette of colours been used?

  2. Have contrasting colours been placed next to each other?

  3. Are there more warm colours than cool colours or vice versa?

  4. Are the colours largely bright or dull?

  5. In what way is dark and light colour used?

For each question you'll be encouraged to consider whether the use of colour conveys a particular mood or emotional effect and whether the use of colour helps to determine the order in which we read the art work.”

Wikipedia. “Colour Theory.”

Video > KQED Art School. “Elements of Art: Color | KQED Arts.” YouTube, 16 Jan 2015.

5.2 Question 1: Has a wide or narrow palette of colours been used?

The course website answers this question by explaining how:

“The word ‘palette’ is used when describing the number of different colours that are present in an art work. A painting with many different colours, for example Chris Ofili's Afrodizzia (Plate 8), can be said to feature a wide palette of colours. In Paula Rego's The Dance (Plate 14) the range of colours is more limited, comprising mostly blue and yellow hues, so the painting can be said to feature a narrow palette.”

PLATE 8: Chris Ofili, Afrodizzia, 2nd version, 1996, acrylic, oil, resin, paper collage, glitter, map pins and elephant dung on canvas with two dung supports, 244 × 183 cm.(© Chris Ofili. Courtesy of Chris Ofili – Afroco and Victoria Miro Gallery.)

PLATE 14: Paula Rego, The Dance, 1988, acrylic on paper laid on canvas support, 213 × 274 cm. (© The artist. Courtesy Tate, London, 2005.)

The course continues, stating:

“Having identified the variety of colours that have been used in an art work, it's important to explore the effects of this. In Afrodizziafor example, the wide colour palette might be seen to convey a sense of confusion, giving no clues about which part of the painting to focus on first. It might also be seen to contribute to a joyous or cheerful feel. In my response to Activity 4 I described Afrodizzia as being ‘psychedelic’ and ‘colourful’. Clearly the colours had an immediate impact on me. In comparison, The Dance, with its more limited palette, feels calm, stately and subdued, effects that seem to be in keeping with the moonlit scene represented.“

5.3 Question 2: Have contrasting colours been placed next to each other?

The next question concerns how complementary colours work when used in an artwork:

“Contrasting colours are those that are opposite, or almost opposite each other on a colour wheel. Their emotional effects can be to suggest drama, tension or perhaps vibrancy, as in Afrodizzia where it's arguable that the contrasting colours add to the lively, joyous feel of the art work. The effects of contrasting colours can cause the spectator to read a painting in a particular way by drawing their attention to areas of importance. For example, in The Dance, the contrast between the yellow dress of the woman placed left of centre in the composition and the blue that surrounds it tends to draw the spectator's eye to this area of the painting.”

Figure 1: A colour wheel – a simple diagram that shows the relationship between colours.

Video > Art Summits. “How to Read A Color Wheel for Artists.” YouTube, 20 Oct 2021.

5.4 Question 3: Are there more warm colours than cool colours or vice versa?

The final question about colour which the course examines concerns the use of warm or cool colour schemes:

“Colours such as red, yellow, orange and some greens can be seen as ‘warm’ while blues, other greens, purples and even some shades of red can be described as ‘cool’. Warm colours tend to convey a positive, cheerful mood while cool colours can suggest calmness and serenity or perhaps sadness and gloominess. It's arguable that the dominance of blue in The Dance, for example, contributes to the peaceful night-time feel of the painting, while the dominant reds, yellows and greens in Afrodizzia help to convey a positive, cheerful mood.

Artdiscount. “What do we mean when we say there are 'Warm Reds' and 'Cool Reds'?”

Warmness or coolness of a colour refers to how much orange or blue it has.

Activity 6: The use of colour in Paula Rego's The Maids

PLATE 4: Paula Rego, The Maids, 1987, acrylic on canvas backed paper, 214 × 244 cm. (Courtesy The Saatchi Gallery.)

Look at Plate 4 below and make some notes on the use of colour in this art work, responding to the questions you have just worked through:

  1. Has a wide or narrow palette of colours been used?

    A wide palette of colours has been used by Rego in The Maids. Tints (produced when white is added to a colour - pastel colours are usually tinted), tones (produced when a neutral grey is added to a hue) and shades (produced when black is added to a hue) of red, red-orange, brown, as well as greens all compose the main palette being used. This use of colour contributes to the feeling of unease that permeates the scene.

  2. Have contrasting colours been placed next to each other?

    Contrasting colours do exist within Rego’s painting. The most stark contrast is with the woman in the cool mint green dress seated in the cool red chair, as pointed to by arrow 1 in PLATE 4A below. The back of the red chair also serves to separate the woman from the maid tending to her - she’s alone in the grief she’s possibly feeling. The area pointed to by arrow 2 in PLATE 4A below reveals the opposite - the girl here is in a red top, with a brown skirt. But the red is a dark shade of red, leaving her more obscure than the woman identified by arrow 1.

  3. Are there more warm colours than cool colours or vice versa?

    This painting features slightly warm light that hits the back wall, but the shadows cast upon the wall are cooler. The floor feels warm, but it’s an uncomfortable and slightly unpleasant warmth. The main girl sits in a heavily muted tone of green that leans cool. If not for the light that’s cast upon her, she’d be more obscured, and not as prominent a figure in terms of colour.

PLATE 4A

5.5 Question 4: Are the colours largely bright or dull?

The course then turned its attention to another consideration regarding colour, that of its value (aka luminosity, or brightness), noting how:

“Two colours may have the same hue (for example blue) but one may be vivid and the other dull. Look again at The Dance (Plate 14). Here, the sky is depicted using both dull and bright blue colours. However, neither dull colours nor bright colours dominate the painting; rather there's probably an equal amount of each.”

PLATE 14: Paula Rego, The Dance, 1988, acrylic on paper laid on canvas support, 213 × 274 cm. (© The artist. Courtesy Tate, London, 2005.)

The course also notes how:

“Having identified the extent to which dull and bright colours feature in a painting, consider the likely effects of this. For example, an art work with mostly bright colours can suggest a livelier mood than one where the colours are mostly dull. Regarding your reading of the painting, if both bright and dull colours are present, your eye tends to be drawn to the bright colours first. Bright colours can also give an artificial feel, as in Life by Gilbert and George (Plate 7), where intense reds, yellows, greens and blue are dominant.”

PLATE 7: Gilbert and George, Life from Death Hope Life Fear, 1984, hand coloured photographs, framed on paper, unique. (Courtesy of Gilbert and George. © Tate, London, 2005.)

Activity 7: The use of brightness of colour in Paula Rego's The Maids

  1. Are the colours largely bright or dull? There’s a strong contrast between what appears to be artificially lit areas which are fairly bright, lending to a somewhat bright and vibrant feel; with areas that exist in shadow, lending to a slightly unsettlingly dull atmosphere.

    For example, when one focuses on the girl in the cool mint green dress seated in the cool red chair, as pointed to by arrow 1 in PLATE 4A above - one notices how the colour moves from light to dark, emphasizing the figure’s central importance in the artwork. By contrast, the girl identified by arrow 2 sits in shadow, and even though she is somewhat animated, the shadows in which she sits contributes to her feeling less prominent compared to the other girl who is strongly lit in her very quiet pose.

    The lamp shade and carpet have some degree of dull yellow orange, which, in the carpeted areas closest to the front of the picture is a darker, more muddy brown colour. This darker foreground area creates a space between the viewer and the figures in the painting, further emphasizing the emotional distance between us and the figures, and even between the figures themselves. It’s interesting that the lighter areas of the floor match the colour of the girl 2’s hair and the lightness makes her appear more reactive to her emotions, even though she’s sitting in shade and not the main focus of the painting.

The course website emphasized:

“Again, your conclusions about the relationship between technique and effect in The Maids may have been very different. Please make sure you note your conclusions clearly as they will be valuable evidence upon which to base an interpretation of the meaning of the painting later in the course.”

5.6 Question 5: In what way is dark and light colour used?

The course website describes:

“How light or dark a colour appears is termed its tone or ‘value’. A colour's value is increased, or lightened, by adding white or another lighter value colour to it. A colour's value is decreased or darkened by adding black or a darker value colour to it. In The Dance, for example, the foreground area features both dark and light blues. Technically, the lightened colours are called ‘tints’ and the darkened colours are called ‘shades’.

Colour value is one of the most powerful aspects of form that can be used by an artist to create visual contrast in a painting. It can have considerable impact on the spectator, both by suggesting particular emotions and moods and by encouraging the spectator to read a painting in a certain way. Value can also be used to help in the representation of objects from the real world, for example, when an artist is trying to represent a three-dimensional shape or to represent light in a painting.

The course website continued, noting how:

“When exploring colour value in an art work, we can ask the general question: ‘In what way is colour value used?’ This can be subdivided into several further questions of which I have chosen four…

  1. How wide is the range of colour values featuring in the art work? In other words, what is the distribution of colour values from dark to light?

    • The breadth of the value range in a painting can be effective in helping to convey mood. For example, a painting comprising mostly dark colour values can make a work appear gloomy and sombre; whereas one with middle range colours can convey softness and harmony; and a painting comprising mostly light colour values can suggest optimism and cheerfulness.

  2. Are contrasting colour values present in the art work? Or are dark and light colour values placed adjacent to each other?

    • Essentially, the greater the difference between light and dark colour values in a particular area, the more attention that area will attract.

  3. Are contrasting colour values used to model three-dimensional forms?

    • In The Dance, for example, the contrast of light and mid colour values in the arm of the woman in yellow near the centre of the composition gives the limb a sense of roundness and solidarity.

  4. In what way are the colour values distributed throughout the art work?

    • Concentrating most of the light values in one area of the composition and most of the dark values in another can be effective in emphasising one area of an art work over the rest. When light and dark values are placed adjacent and are distributed evenly throughout the art work it can give the composition a sense of ‘movement’, causing the eye to move from place to place rather than focusing on one particular area.

Look again at Paula Rego's The Dance (Plate 14). This painting features an even distribution of colour values, with dark and light colour values appearing throughout the composition. This seems to give the composition movement, leading the spectator's eye from one dancer to the next.

In Chris Ofili's Afrodizzia (Plate 8), while light and mid values tend to dominate much of the composition helping to convey a positive energetic feel, the dark values that are present in the tiny faces that punctuate the composition add additional interest and cause the spectator to pay extra attention to these areas of the work.”

Beach Painting Contractors. “Colour, Hue, Tint, Tone, and Shade.”

Wikipedia. “Tint, Shade, and Tone.”

Williams, Shirley. “Primary Colors, Secondary and Tertiary Explained.” The Colour Wheel Artist, 15 Feb 2017.

Williams, Shirley. “The Ultimate Guide to Understanding Hue, Tint, Tone and Shade.” The Colour Wheel Artist.

Activity 8: The use or colour value in Paula Rego’s THE MAIDS

— END OF UNIT 05–

UNIT 4 > The relationship between effects and techniques

4.1 Introduction

For this unit, the course begins to tie together a consideration of how various techniques an artist might employ impacts the finished artwork and how it effects viewers. Specifically, the course website explains:

“Think back to Activity 4. Did you find yourself concluding that you liked or disliked any of the art works? Or even that you loved or hated them? Just as with poetry, liking or disliking something is a common first reaction to an art work; there's nothing wrong with having these feelings. It's advisable to monitor your own feelings carefully, and not to distance yourself from an art work because you're afraid you're not going to understand its meaning. As you know, an art work is often created in order to appeal to your feelings, so it would be rather odd if you ignored these. Along these lines, the 2003 Turner Prize winner Grayson Perry (see Plate 12) said:

I think it's about time that people started to bring their senses into play more and trust their bodily reactions to work – become more willing to say, ‘Wow! That is really lovely. I love that!’, rather than looking for the meaning of it all the time.

(Perry, The Guardian online, 2003)

Having said this, for academic purposes it's also helpful to allow some reaction time after your first impression, and to think about the techniques that have achieved these effects. So pause and think about what it is about the appearance of an art work that affects you in a certain way. Consider just what the artist involved might be trying to say via this work. Then, rather than simply saying ‘this painting is really gloomy, I just don't like it’, you can say something like ‘this painting makes me feel gloomy and uneasy because of the dominant purple and green colours’. Such a statement makes a connection between the effects and techniques points of the Study Diamond and can form the basis of an argument about the possible meaning of an art work.

For now, we're going to shift our attention to the techniques point of the Study Diamond, focusing on those techniques that have been used in some of the Turner Prize-related art works that you've already encountered.”

4.2 The form of art: looking at techniques

The site then introduced the idea of FORM, which is a key component examined when studying works of art. Specifically, the course website notes how:

“In art history the word ‘form’ is used to describe the overall shape and structure of an art work. Various techniques will have been used to create this form such as;

  • Colour;

  • Medium; and

  • Composition (arrangement).

Initially you'll focus on the techniques used in paintings and later you'll extend your exploration of techniques to cover sculpture and installations. You'll encounter a lot of new technical terms in the next few sections. While this may appear a little daunting at first, rest assured that each term will be explained fully. By the end of this free course you'll have developed a valuable approach that will allow you to systematically analyse art works from all time periods”

Video > KQED Art School. “Elements of Art | KQED Arts.” YouTube, 14 Oct 2014.

— END OF UNIT 04 —

STUDY DIAMOND 3 ANALYSIS > The Perfect Place to Grow

Tracey Emin, The Perfect Place to Grow, 2001, wooden shed and trestle, plants, with a single monitor, super-8 film transferred to colour video, audio track, 2 minutes looped, 261 × 83 × 162 cm installation. (© The artist. Courtesy Jay Jopling/White Cube, London. Photo: Stephen White.)

Activity 1 - Looking at Works of Art

Look at the following works and make some notes for each one in response to the following questions.

  1. Do you like it?

    Yes.

  2. How does it make you feel?

    From the photo, I felt a bit bored by the piece. Uninspired. But curious to know more - I want to see it in the round. I want to see what’s playing on this monitor, for example.

  3. Is it art? Briefly explain the reasons for your answer.

    This is art. But, I wish I could see the videos that play inside wooden shed. A search online came up with nothing but THE TATE website had a rich description of the imagery and sounds featured in the installation. Which makes me consider my answer to question one. My initial response from the photo alone was no, I don’t like this. But in reading more about it, and seeing photos of patrons on the ladder looking into the shed to see the video and hear the audio, had me wanting to interact with the installation. One description even said a full water bucket was kept with the plants, so people could water them - and indeed you can see the dark green pitcher sitting there. The interactivity makes the piece feel performative - a viewer has to work their way around the piece to get the full effect of it.

Don't spend more than a minute or two responding to each question. Questions 1 and 3 require a simple ‘yes' or ‘no’ answer and some brief explanation for question 3. For question 2 you could record your immediate feelings about the works represented, using one word answers (for example ‘happy’ or ‘confused’) rather than complete sentences.

Unit 3: Activity 4 - Recording Your Feelings

First Impressions: rugged, farmhouse, land, taming the land by potting the plants. Wooden construction - older sensibilities, craftsmanship, generational gaps. Why is the shed high up and accessible by ladder? What is its representation? Why a wooden saw horse, isn’t that used in carpentry? These questions leave me feeling confused, uneasy, as I don’t immediately understand or get what is happening here. Not being able to observe the audio video playing is also leading to the confusion, I feel robbed of an experience (although with some pieces, like many performance art works, all that exists of it are photos in which sound and moving visuals are left to the imagination). Should that lack of being able to experience all of a piece impact how one feels about it?

— END OF STUDY ANALYSIS 3 —

STUDY DIAMOND 2 ANALYSIS > The Maids

Paula Rego, The Maids, 1987, acrylic on canvas backed paper, 214 × 244 cm. (Courtesy The Saatchi Gallery.)

Activity 1 - Looking at Works of Art

Look at the following works and make some notes for each one in response to the following questions.

  1. Do you like it?

    No.

  2. How does it make you feel?

    The Maids makes me feel uneasy. Uncomfortable. It’s very surreal to me, like something out of a nightmare that’s left me feeling very anxious and on edge. All is not right here, and I’m not sure what, or why.

  3. Is it art? Briefly explain the reasons for your answer.

    Even though I’m not sure I like this painting, for me it still qualifies as art. It’s a painting, which has a long tradition in art - one that goes back thousands of years. It evokes emotion in me, and likely in others too. It’s telling a story - so many elements here give meaning to the form.

I think I struggle with saying I don’t like a work. Shouldn’t good art make me uneasy? Provoke me? Isn’t it successful if it does that? Isn’t it more successful than finely crafted beauty pieces that aren’t challenging to ones thoughts?

Don't spend more than a minute or two responding to each question. Questions 1 and 3 require a simple ‘yes' or ‘no’ answer and some brief explanation for question 3. For question 2 you could record your immediate feelings about the works represented, using one word answers (for example ‘happy’ or ‘confused’) rather than complete sentences.

Unit 3: Activity 4 - Recording Your Feelings

First Impressions: Pastel colours, some earth tones but it all feels in shadow - there is light coming in and hitting the back wall, it feels artificial. The maids are persons of colour. They are tending to two white women. Black pig in lower right corner. Foreboding feeling, something isn’t right. The girl in green feels very forlorn, she faces us but her head is looking down, eyes closed with resignation, hands resting together on her lap. You can see her closed eye reflected in a small mirror sitting on the makeup table. A girl in red is not facing forward, there’s action in her stance, as it she might be wailing in pain, arms raised in objection and a feeling of abandonment. Her left arm holds the arm of the maid, as her head is pressed against the maid’s chest and the maid is resting her head on hers as if trying to comfort her.

Suggested Course Answer: Alice in Wonderland. Story-telling. Intriguing.

— END OF STUDY ANALYSIS 2 —

STUDY DIAMOND 1 ANALYSIS > No Woman No Cry

Chris Ofili, No Woman No Cry, 1998, acrylic paint, oil paint, resin, pencil, paper collage, Letraset, glitter, map pins and elephant dung on linen with two dung supports, 244 × 183 × 5 cm. (© Chris Ofili. Courtesy of Chris Ofili – Afroco and Victoria Miro Gallery. Tate Photography.)

Unit 1: Activity 1 - Looking at Works of Art

Look at the following works and make some notes for each one in response to the following questions.

  1. Do you like it?

    Yes.

  2. How does it make you feel?

  3. No Woman, No Cry makes me feel uneasy, and guarded, as if I have stumbled onto a private moment. It also feels like I’m looking through something, at her. Her tears feel surreal, larger than life, they’re the brightest, most solid part of the piece which is confusing to me a bit, especially in relation to the title.

  4. Is it art? Briefly explain the reasons for your answer.

    Yes, this is art. It is a representational painting of an unknown figure, a woman. It’s portraiture, which has a long history in art as a subject matter.

Don't spend more than a minute or two responding to each question. Questions 1 and 3 require a simple ‘yes' or ‘no’ answer and some brief explanation for question 3. For question 2 you could record your immediate feelings about the works represented, using one word answers (for example ‘happy’ or ‘confused’) rather than complete sentences.

Unit 3: Activity 4 - Recording Your Feelings

First Impressions: Wash - soft application of materials. Foggy haze. Quilt like embroidery design. Brown, some green-blue and yellow-orange colour scheme with some dark hues conveying lines > for me, creates a connection with the groundedness of the earth. Hair mirrors the embroidery, it’s ornate, well kept, intricate. Sadness, grief, loneliness, depression - tears flow from closed eyes.

Suggested Course Answer: Colourful. Dignified. Sad.

— END OF STUDY ANALYSIS —

UNIT 3 > Art works and their effects

3.1. Introduction

The course website discussed the trajectory of how the course will proceed from this point forward, stating that:

“Your study of art history will start with the effects point of the Study Diamond. This seems especially relevant to an examination of art by Turner Prize-nominated artists as you've seen that such art seems to provoke dramatic reactions. You'll be looking in detail at two types of effects, namely:

  1. the way you feel when you look at an art work and how to record these feelings

  2. the way you read the art work in a particular way, focusing on one aspect of it before others.

As you work through this section you'll start gathering evidence that you can use to support an analysis of the possible meaning of some Turner Prize-related art works. Perhaps the most important evidence is that which records your own reaction to these art works. When analysing any art work you should try to trust your own feelings and thoughts about what you see, and record these, rather than referring to other people's reactions to find out what you should be feeling and thinking.”

3.2. Activity 4 - Recording your feelings

The course places an importance on understanding how individuals respond to and reads various works of art, as they can be unique for each person viewing a work and can help shape an individual’s understanding of what a work might mean.

Specifically, the course website described how:

“Artists strive for their art works to have effects on the spectator, even though they cannot necessarily predict precisely what sort of effects these will be. Our immediate reactions to any art work are, therefore, an essential consideration when analysing that work. However, it can be very difficult to recall how we felt when we experienced a particular art work for the very first time. The more we look at something and examine it in detail, the more distanced we become from its original impact on us. For this reason, as a student of art history, it's important to record the immediate effects of any art work that you encounter. That way, you'll have evidence with which to build a more complete account of the art work, including its immediate effects, if you're asked to discuss that work in more detail.”

Course Discussion / Suggested Course Response: What did you think? I'm sure that if everyone who studied this course compared their answers it would soon be clear that there's no right answer and that the effects that an art work has can depend on many factors. In particular, such things as your background and emotional state at the time of viewing the work can be quite important. I've recorded my own initial impressions about some of these works below. How do your first impressions compare with mine?

PLATE 2: Anish Kapoor, As if to Celebrate, I Discovered a Mountain Blooming with Red Flowers, 1981, Pigments, wood and plaster, 97 × 77 × 160 cm object, 33 × 71 × 82 cm object, 21 × 16 × 47 cm sculpture. (© Tate, London, 2005.)

First Impressions: Otherworldly. Sandcastles - fragility. Dust, possible crumbling of the structures. Primary Colours - red, and yellow. Round / Curved shapes - contrasted with Triangle / Cones / Sharp Spike shapes. Two of the red shapes are rounded, three are cones, the yellow shape is cone and rounded. Placed on a concrete floor in front of a white wall. Feels like an industrial setting.

Suggested Course Answer: Multicoloured. Fragile. Spiky.

PLATE 3: Chris Ofili, No Woman No Cry, 1998, acrylic paint, oil paint, resin, pencil, paper collage, Letraset, glitter, map pins and elephant dung on linen with two dung supports, 244 × 183 × 5 cm. (© Chris Ofili. Courtesy of Chris Ofili – Afroco and Victoria Miro Gallery. Tate Photography.)

First Impressions: Wash - soft application of materials. Foggy haze. Quilt like embroidery design. Brown, some green-blue and yellow-orange colour scheme with some dark hues conveying lines > for me, creates a connection with the groundedness of the earth. Hair mirrors the embroidery, it’s ornate, well kept, intricate. Sadness, grief, loneliness, depression - tears flow from closed eyes.

Suggested Course Answer: Colourful. Dignified. Sad.

PLATE 4: Paula Rego, The Maids, 1987, acrylic on canvas backed paper, 214 × 244 cm. (Courtesy The Saatchi Gallery.)

First Impressions: Pastel colours, some earth tones but it all feels in shadow - there is light coming in and hitting the back wall, it feels artificial. The maids are persons of colour. They are tending to two white women. Black pig in lower right corner. Foreboding feeling, something isn’t right. The girl in green feels very forlorn, she faces us but her head is looking down, eyes closed with resignation, hands resting together on her lap. You can see her closed eye reflected in a small mirror sitting on the makeup table. A girl in red is not facing forward, there’s action in her stance, as it she might be wailing in pain, arms raised in objection and a feeling of abandonment. Her left arm holds the arm of the maid, as her head is pressed against the maid’s chest and the maid is resting her head on hers as if trying to comfort her.

Suggested Course Answer: Alice in Wonderland. Story-telling. Intriguing.

PLATE 5: Tomoko Takahashi, Learning How To Drive, 2000, mixed media installation, dimensions variable. (© Courtesy of the artist and Hales Gallery. Photo: Tate Photography/Mark Heathcote.)

First Impressions: Busy, chaotic, claustrophobic, disorganized, disorienting, messy but with a path of sorts leading through the mess, wayfinder signs point attention to different areas of the mess as opposed to a way through. Objects fill the space. Piles on the floor, things on shelves and furniture, things attached to (or leaning on) walls, and attached to / suspended from ceiling. Some times suspended from ceiling appear to be floating, as if they are weightless. There appear to be markings on the floor, scribbles, lines, writing, and splotches of paint too.

Suggested Course Answer: Messy. Confusing.

PLATE 6: Rachel Whiteread, House, 1993. (© The artist. Courtesy Gagosian Gallery.Photo: Tate Photography.)

First Impressions: Plain. Concrete. Molded / shaped / cast / preserved. Copy & Paste. Uninspired. Unoriginal, dull. Lifeless. Looks like it’s partially cast - feels like a roof is missing. Heavy, weighted, inaccessible.

Suggested Course Answer: Bland. Concrete.

PLATE 7: Gilbert and George, Life from Death Hope Life Fear, 1984, handcoloured photographs, framed on paper, unique (Courtesy of Gilbert and George. © Tate, London, 2005.)

First Impressions: Bright, surreal dreamlike. Text information plus visual imagery that’s been transferred onto the surface. Repetition. Two central figure is repeated across the middle, but also works to form a singular figure of sorts - a monumental statue, or totem figure, telling a story.

Suggested Course Answer: Bright. Photographic. Joyous.

PLATE 8: Chris Ofili, Afrodizzia, 2nd version, 1996, acrylic, oil, resin, paper collage, glitter, map pins and elephant dung on canvas with two dung supports, 244 × 183 cm. (© Chris Ofili. Courtesy of Chris Ofili – Afroco and Victoria Miro Gallery.)

First Impressions: Washes / Swaths of colour flow across the picture plain - reds, oranges, browns / earth tones. Playful curvilinear line work also contributes to the flow. There’s a variety of mark making here, thick lines, lines of different colours, smooth lines, scratchy doodle lines, repetitive dots that make up a line. Feels like a high - psychedelic, a visual representation of being high. From a distance it feels like the image of the same Afro man is repeating itself but upon closer inspection one sees its many different faces throughout the piece, all with different expressions.

Suggested Course Answer: Colourful and complex. Dizzy. Flowing. Psychedelic.

PLATE 9: Fiona Rae, Untitled (yellow), 1990, oil on canvas support, 214 × 198 cm. (© Fiona Rae. Courtesy Timothy Taylor Gallery. Photo: Tate Photography.)

First Impressions: There’s some balance between minimalist areas and more complex / developed areas. Some areas the paint is a wash, such as the background. Other areas it’s a flat surface applied evenly, some areas the paint was applied thin with drips allowed to move down the painting. Black is applied flatly, but has different colours of paint drawn and scratched into it. Overall - the piece is abstracted, but not representational.

Suggested Course Answer: Basic. Confusing. Splodges.

PLATE 10: Damien Hirst, Mother and Child Divided, 1993, steel, GRP composites, glass, silicone sealants, cow, calf, formaldehyde solution, tanks: 190 × 323 × 109 cm and 103 × 169 × 63 cm. (© The artist. Courtesy Jay Jopling/White Cube, London.)

First Impressions: Morbid, macabre, eerie, but suggestive of scientific inquiry - Dissections. Looks clean - very clean, sterile, clean white lines of case, perfectly clear glass, even the formaldehyde solution looks perfectly clear. The title says that this is a mother and child which is sad. Feels like an unnatural display because the animals are so large. Can’t really see from the photos, the insides of the animals. I’m curious as to how they were cut in half and suspended so nicely in the formaldehyde.

Suggested Course Answer: Repulsive. Dissections. Sad.

PLATE 11: Jake and Dinos Chapman, CFC76311561.1, 2002, painted bronze, 92 × 58 × 49 cm. (© The artists. Courtesy Jay Jopling/White Cube, London. Photo: Gareth Winters.)

First Impressions: Feels old, dark, weathered, like it’s been buried for a long time- like it is prehistoric, but that’s juxtaposed with the knowledge that this is about a contemporary subject matter (McDonald’s). Blocky, simple carving, nothing protruding from the piece, like an arm - makes it feel self contained. No deep relief, simple shapes for mouth, nose, and eyes. Painted face, nose and lips. Painted McDonald’s fries and drink cup. Feels somewhat playful, reminds me of some of the work created by Picasso during his African Period, the idea of Primitivism comes to mind. Appropriation as well, and how contemporary Western culture with its emphasis on “convenience” has spread across the globe so quickly over last 100 years.

Suggested Course Answer: Cute. Sturdy.

PLATE 12: Grayson Perry, Golden Ghosts, 2001, earthenware, 64 × 27 × 27 cm. (© Courtesy of the artist and Victoria Miro Gallery, London.)

First Impressions: Another artwork that has the feeling that it’s older than it is. For me though the subject matter doesn’t immediately make me think it’s a contemporary subject matter as I’m not sure what the figures are doing or who they represent. I am curious about what it means though. The figures look like they could be anime figures. Black line work grounds the piece, from many short dashes, as if counting in ordered sets. Cream colours, with some yellow and red throughout. The red appears to highlight some kind of hill. Some of the yellow appears in swaths, while some appears in scratches at the feet of one of the figures. The figures look rather forlorn, one looks angry. The figures are looking out in front of themselves but don’t appear to be looking exactly at a viewer.

Suggested Course Answer: Intriguing. Delicate.

PLATE 14: Tracey Emin, In My Family When Someone Dies They Are Cremated And Their Ashes Are Thrown Across The Sea, 1997, plaster, white paint, eleven seagulls, 450 × 555 × 413 cm (variable) installation. (© The artist. Courtesy Jay Jopling/ White Cube, Lo

First Impressions: There’s a whimsical playfulness about this installation of seagulls. They feel as if they are suspended in the air, free floating, a moment of graceful movement captured in time. The white plaster gives it a dreamlike quality, that borders on the ephemeral. To paint them would have removed this feeling, even though seagulls are primarily white, they can have splashes or colour as found in their yellow beaks (with a splash of red) and feet, grey wing feathers and sometimes black and white tail feathers… by making them all white, it becomes a suggestion of a seagull, a memory of what once was.

Suggested Course Answer: Wistful. Flimsy.

PLATE 14: Paula Rego, The Dance, 1988, acrylic on paper laid on canvas support, 213 × 274 cm. (© The artist. Courtesy Tate, London, 2005.)

First Impressions: This is another work that has a timeless quality to it that makes it feel as though it might have been painted in another century. The scene is set at night, overall everything is dark, save for the moon which hangs high, slightly right of centre, between parting clouds. It’s lighting up the far side of a hill off in the distance, and a body of water that sits behind it. It’s also lighting eight figures who are dancing, there shadows cast forward from the light of the moon that hits them. In some ways this painting feels like it might be a photograph, as five figures closest to the front of the frame feel as though they’ve been illuminated by the flash of a camera. There’s the obvious suggestion of movement, of rhythmic dance, and the figures feel at ease in the present moment of the dance. Some figures feel like they are alone to themselves in this moment, like the centre couple where the woman is wearing a greenish-yellow dress. Whereas the figures to the right of them seem to be appreciating each other as they dance.

Suggested Course Answer: Calm. Rhythmical.

At this point, the course website noted how:

“You'll be revisiting many of these works later in order to think about whether your feelings change as you learn more about them. However, the main focus of your study will be:

  • Chris Ofili's No Woman No Cry

  • Paula Rego's The Maids

  • Tracey Emin's The Perfect Place to Grow

As references to these plates are made, please make sure that you look at them to confirm what is being said about these art works. Just as with poetry, regular and detailed reference to the text is essential.

As you work through this course you'll use each point of the Study Diamond to help you to gather evidence about these art works. This will allow you to gradually build a well argued analysis of what you think these art works mean and what their significance is. With this task in mind, you should now allocate a separate section of your notes (perhaps using a fresh page) to each of the three art works. Put the art work title and the artist's name at the top of each page and for The Maids and No Woman No Cry, write down your first impressions of the works, as recorded in Activity 4.”

3.3 Reading an art text

Finally, the course website introduced the concept of reading a work of art, saying how:

“Having noted the immediate effect of an art work in terms of the way that it makes you feel, or the mood that it seems to convey, the next thing you can usefully do is to record the journey your eye takes as it experiences the work. This process of examining an art work is often called ‘reading’. Recording your first ‘read’ of an art work can give you some valuable supporting evidence to use when analysing it in more detail.”

— END OF UNIT 03 —

UNIT 2 > The Turner Prize: an annual farce or a celebration of creativity?

Since this course focuses on artworks that were either nominated for or won The Turner Prize, the course website provided an overview of The Turner Prize, as follows:

“The Turner Prize is awarded each year to an artist who has made an outstanding contribution to art in Britain during the previous twelve months. I've chosen to concentrate on the Turner Prize because I believe that many of the art works nominated for it have important things to say about the times in which we are living. The art works that you'll encounter here are visually diverse, ranging from pickled cows to paintings made with elephant dung and glitter. Some are beautiful, some are shocking and many might appear on first sight to be very confusing. I can't predict whether you'll like all (or, indeed any) of them, but I hope that by the end of this free course you'll agree that contemporary art can be extremely thought-provoking. Taking the time to look beyond the immediate appearance of an art work to consider what the artist might be trying to say can be immensely rewarding.

The course describes how The Turner Prize, founded in 1984, has always attracted controversy, as seen by this quote by the Daily Mail:

“The Turner Prize is really the artistic equivalent of the Emperor's new clothes – incomprehensible rubbish worshipped by a narrow and increasingly out-of-touch clique.”

The course asks why the Turner Prize is often so controversial? Why is Turner Prize-related art often less than enthusiastically received?

It also notes how The Turner Prize does have its fans, as art critic Iain Gale asserted that while:

“… art prizes abound – all might learn from the Turner. It is a benchmark. If it didn't exist we would have to invent it. It stimulates debate, it engages and provokes. We need such catalysts. Love it or loathe it, the Turner has gradually put contemporary art within the public domain.”

Ultimately, The Turner Prize has always had the potential to stimulate debate, engage and provoke.

Video > Tate. “30 Years of the Turner Prize.” YouTube, 29 Sep 2014.

Video > Guardian Culture. “How the Turner Prize turns unknown artists into multi-millionaires.” YouTube, 7 Dec 2015.

Video > AP Archive. “Turner Prize nominees stir up controversy.” YouTube, 21 Jul 2015.

The course website also noted how:

“…comments posted to a 2004 comments section on the Turner Prize website focused on:

  • Complaints that the chosen artists displayed no talent or artistic ability;

  • Complaints that the chosen art didn’t qualify as art at all; and

  • Comments that people didn’t understand what the chosen art meant and represented (people also felt they would look foolish if they admitted they didn’t understand an artwork).

“Analysis and interpretation of contemporary art… involves the spectator (the term used in this course to describe a viewer of an art work) performing a step-by-step examination of the work in a very similar way to the examination of any other text (for example, a haiku poem).“

The course site explains how ultimately, one can use…

“…all four points of the Study Diamond to:

  1. find a framework for analysing art texts; and

  2. better understand some of the reactions to art works shortlisted for the Turner Prize.”

Photo > Tate Britain: the venue for the Turner Prize except in 2007, 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017.

— END OF UNIT 2 —