Textures And Colors Of The Piece example essay topic

460 words
Upon my visit to Gallery V at 694 N. High St. in Columbus, OH, the first thing to catch my eye was a medium sized painting hanging in the gallery office. The light seemed to dance and intermingle with the textures and colors of the piece causing it to have a shimmering visual effect. I inquired the gallery director as to the artist and name of the work and was met with "That's a popular artist that we " ve shown twice here at Gallery V... Jules Olitski".

I was granted permission to enter the office for a closer look at Mr. Olitski's Odyssey: 7 and immediately transfixed my eyes upon the stunning style in which he mixed various colors and blended them into a representation of what reminded me of a brilliant, sunny day. The painting is done on a stretched canvas with a wooden frame using layers of acrylic paint and molded pumice for texture. The colors are rich and deep with a translucent glaze that begs to be investigated further. The lights of the gallery were positioned in such a way that the work could reflect and refract the rays in order to utilize Odyssey: 7's ability to play with light. The main part of Odyssey: 7 has a mostly silver-metallic appearance that would appear blue and purple at times as I stepped from side to side. Slightly bit up and right from center is a vibrant yellow "sun" that, to me, seemed to be the focal point of the piece.

Parading around the edges of this "sun" are warm pinks, purples and whites blended into one another to appear as though brought to life by the vibrancy of the "sun". The pumice added a third dimension to the focal point that would play with the light to create different effects as the viewer moved to different angles. Jules Olitski's Odyssey: 7 is a non-figurative piece. You can look at it and pick out the idea, but there isn't an exact physical representation of the idea. The effect of light is essential to his work as it reflects off of the top layer of translucent acrylic and changes colors through the different layers as the viewer moves about. This gives the painting a chameleon-like appearance that changes colors to entertain the eyes and dazzle the sense of sight.

In my opinion, Mr. Olitski employs very creative and unique techniques when creating Odyssey: 7 that serve to establish this piece as something to be appreciated and viewed simply for it's artistic and inventive beauty. Judging by the $20,000 price tag, it seems I'm not the only person that feels this way.