Introduction
Aside from visiting local art galleries with my family every once in a while, I'm not someone who seeks much art. To put it simply, I only really appreciate the art that is put right in front of me. This is exactly how I was exposed to Timling's art- my mom hung up her paintings all around the house. I've become used to seeing them around the house, so I often don't take the time to look at them and really appreciate the art for what it is. This assignment has allowed me to remedy that by taking a deeper look at her art.
Art Elements
This painting- named
Starry Traverse- depicts "a six-hour 'snapshot' of traversing stars. However, the movement of the earth rather than the movement of the stars causes the traverse" (T
imling). The most notable element of Timling's art is the color- specifically, the fact that this one is in black and white. I find it very impressive that she's able to add so much detail to the landscape using only the two colors to contrast each other. In doing so, she's able to clearly define things like trees using space- two notable examples being her drawing the trees smaller in the distance, as well as by overlapping trees in the foreground. As the trees seem to get further away, they lose the details and coloring which make them so prominent in the foreground. Lastly, she uses lines create the landscape. These lines not only help to add texture to the snow, but to make the piece feel very linear, creating a serenely dark landscape.Placement
Owning a copy of this piece, it's displayed downstairs on the walls in my living room. The black and white Timling prints I own contrast nicely with the white painted walls, serving as a reminder of the winters we endure. It furthermore serves to remind me of the calm- though drearily dark and lonely- nights spent back in the village. It encapsulates a lot of feelings I'd felt growing up there, and always seems to give me some nostalgia when I take a good look at it.
Sources
Mittman, Asa. “Look At This!: An Introduction To Art Appreciation.” " Look At This!: An Introduction to Art Appreciation, smarthistory, https://smarthistory.org/look-at-this/. Accessed 4 Feb. 2024.
Timling, Ina. "Starry Traverse." Etsy, (n.d.) https://www.etsy.com/listing/257285269/starry-traverse?click_key=aa4993da16060fdf852c3d1cfdee5bfecae12b7e%3A257285269&click_sum=3bb2f088&ref=shop_home_feat_3. Accessed 5 Feb. 2024.
Elliott, I agree that the use of only black and white is very striking, it reminds me of a fact I learned a while back that humans can only see in black and white in extremely low light. Something that I found quite interesting about this painting is the stars. They remind me of those timelapse videos of stars tracing lines like this in the night sky. It's almost like this painting is a timelapse but the landscape is so still that the only thing moving is the stars. Anyways, nice work!
ReplyDeleteHello again Elliot, your thinking process of Timling's art offers a interesting exploration of the intertwining of personal experience and artistic appreciation. Encountering her paintings within your home highlights the innate connection between art and daily life, prompting a deeper examination of her work. Your analysis of "Starry Traverse" showcases Timling's masterful use of color and composition, revealing the depth of emotion and memory woven into each brushstroke.
ReplyDeleteI too find it appealing that there can be so much detail in this piece with only the use of black and white. The fact that there is not even any shading is incredible. I like how the time-lapse of the stars makes almost a complete circle. I completely understand what you mean by taking art for granted at times. In our lives, we probably pass art pieces multiple times a day every day and I never think twice about it that is until I'm bored in an office and I catch myself staring at the waiting room art and dissecting it in my head.
ReplyDeleteBeing able to add so much detail with only two colors is very impressive, but given the context of the piece I would almost argue its necessary. Most of the artwork is made up of things that would be monochrome in the real world; like the darkness of the sky, the white of the stars and snow, and given how dark it is at night the naturally dark green trees would be black. The piece reminds me of photos I've taken on the trail my friends and I walk on to get away from the light pollution of Fairbanks whenever we go aurora watching, which I would add to this comment if I knew how to do that.
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