was just wondering if anybody would be kind enough to review my essay mainly for grammatical errors because thats where I tend to struggle it would be greatly appreciated, I have to turn it in today, Friday March 14 by 3:30 PM so if anybody can help me out thanks in advance
On a recent visit to the art gallery at Florida Gulf Coast University, I stumbled across a colored aquatint etch entitled Good Afternoon II, that I found to be one of the most remarkable pieces of artwork I had ever seen. Painted by Alex Katz in 1975, Good Afternoon II elicits a sense of modern realism while at the same time expressing a practical and genuine approach to etching. The painting illustrates an isolated canoe expedition in which there is one lone person paddling the canoe, thereby creating a sense of strength and passion in the eyes of the viewer. The composition of the paining is mainly structured in the rich green tone of the water which dominates over half of the entire canvas. Horizontal lines of a different shade of green depict reflection of the water and are an excellent form of symmetrical balance while the light brownish canoe can also be seen in the reflection, beautifully contrasting the almost olive green shade of the water. In Good Afternoon II, Katz uses these contrasting colors as well as a smooth and well balanced composition in a manner which emphasizes closed composition at its absolute best.
In the early nineteenth century, a new form of art known as abstract expressionism swept the world completely off its feet. Introduced in New York around the 1930's, this new wave of abstract expressionism would soon put the United States, or more in particularly New York City, atop the art movement of the time. As times progressed however and the world went to war, tremendous limitations were put in place as to what was considered "suitable content" artists of all genres were allowed to convey. Since abstract paintings typically didn't need to communicate one clear cut meaning or idea, many artists began to pursue that particular style. This is when Alex Katz would begin his legendary career as an artist. Born in New York in 1927, Katz's childhood was greatly influenced by this abstract movement, as is clearly evident in many of his earliest works. As time went on however, Katz grew out of this abstract ideal and moved onto a more emotionless and realistic approach to art known as modern realism and only then would he begin to be recognized as a prominent artist of the time.
Good Afternoon II was created well after Katz had made his transition from abstract expressionism to modern realism. Katz had previously created many similar works of art using intaglio methods similar to aquatint etching but none oh which were as rich and brilliant as Good Afternoon II. This can be mainly attributed to the remarkable achievement of balance that is portrayed by the work. The painting is in almost complete equilibrium as form, color, and mass on both sides of the vertical axis are almost exactly identical. By having such a smooth and balanced composition, the work elicits a tremendous amount of stability & unity. The closed composition of the painting forces the eye directly inward into the focal areas of the work which in turn causes the person viewing it to remain fixated on many small details not ordinarily valued in many other similar works of art.
Another aspect of Good Afternoon II that really sets it apart from the rest is its restricted yet brilliant color scheme. In retrospect, the painting only really uses two colors: green and brown. Although the entire work is made up of these two colors alone, Katz uses the full range of tonalities for both of these colors so that in actuality there are several different colors that can be distinguished in the shadows, background, main focal areas, and all throughout. Green and brown are two very natural colors that predominately represent nature and the outdoors, so it is not hard to see why they coincide with one another so well in this particular work of art that is based primarily upon a natural environment. The light brown canoe contrasts the olive green water so magnificently that the person viewing the work of art is almost instantaneously captivated by the chiaroscuro thus further emphasizing the closed composition of the piece and stimulating the viewer's senses.
P.S. I haven't written a conclusion yet if you were wondering, the final product will include a conclusion
Greetings!
I think you've written a very good essay! I have just a few editing suggestions:
In the early nineteenth century, a new form of art known as abstract expressionism swept the world completely off its feet. - I think you mean the early 20th century, if it included the 1930s.
As times progressed however and the world went to war, tremendous limitations were put in place as to what was considered "suitable content" artists of all genres were allowed to convey. - This is grammatically a bit awkward. Better might be "As time progressed, however, and the world went to war, tremendous limitations were put in place on artists of all genres as to what was considered "suitable content." I did wonder, though, who put these limitations in place?
Katz had previously created many similar works of art using intaglio methods similar to aquatint etching, but none as rich and brilliant as Good Afternoon II.
almost exactly identical. - If they are identical, they are exactly the same, so "exactly identical" is redundant.
the person viewing the work of art is almost instantaneously captivated by the chiaroscuro, thus further emphasizing the closed composition - I added a comma; you might also want to remove "almost" as this waters down your point.
Good job!
Thanks,
Sarah, EssayForum.com
Thank you very very much I really appreciate it.. & just to answer your question above "I did wonder, though, who put these limitations in place?"
The era after World War II was a time of extreme artistic censorship in the United States. Since the subject matter was often totally abstract it became a safe strategy for artists to pursue this style. Abstract art could be seen as apolitical. Or if the art was political, the message was largely for the insiders.
Thanks again!
