Dorothea Lange

Dorothea Lange, Migrant Mother, Nipomo Valley, 1935, Gelatin Silver Print.

1. Describe the photograph.

A middle-aged woman is made the main subject. Her hair appears to be a rather messy and unkempt, and she is frowning with worry, as can be seen from the wrinkles across her forehead, her crow’s feet and her furrowed eyebrows. Her facial expression is filled with worry and she seems rather distressed. She is propping her head on her hand and is gazing into the distance, probably deep in thought.

She is wearing rather old, tattered clothes that are frayed at the sleeves, and is holding her sleeping baby in her other hand. Her two other children surround her, one on either side of her. Their heads are turned away from the viewer, as if in shame and they too have unkempt hair and are wearing simple clothing. The mother contrasts greatly with the children by her side, who are cast away in the shadows, enabling her to stand out.

The photograph is in black and white, which reflects the dullness and simplicity of their lives, and the hardship and suffering of the Great Depression.

2. How does the artist create movement?

Lange creates movement through the use of line and texture. The creases on the mother’s forehead and the creases on their clothes are a representation of motion. Moreover, the rough textures of their old and ragged clothing enable the viewer’s eye to move over the work.

Hendra Gunawan

Hendra Gunawan, Family Portrait, 1968

1. Describe the painting.

The painting depicts a family portrait with a crowd of people in the distant background. Gunawan used a large variety of bright and lively colours to portray a happy family, consisting of himself, his two wives, and his two sons. We can tell that they are a close-knit family as the boy is seated on his father’s shoulders and the family members are standing very close to each other and are hooking arms.

Gunawan has captured the intricate details of the traditional Indonesian patterned Batik clothes they are wearing, especially in the first wife’s clothes. He has painted his two wives standing to his right, with one standing closer to him, and blocking the other wife slightly. Gunawan painted his skin the most colourful with unnatural splashes of yellow, green and blue which portray the artistic, unique side of him, and make him stand out, among the rest of the family members.

2. What can you infer about the family dynamics from this portrait? Support your answer with evidence from the painting. Remember that he painted this while in prison.

The composition and the organization of the family are indicators of the family dynamics. Gunawan painted his first wife standing adjacent and closer to him, in front of the second wife. The first wife’s clothes are also much more elaborate than the second wife’s clothes. This suggests that she is the more prominent and domineering wife. Moreover, the father is the only one seated on a chair, which indicates his greatest importance in the family.

The younger son sitting on the father’s shoulders is likely to be the more important son, as the father is holding on to his ankles, and he has the most physical contact with the father. His bright legs also stand out against the deep red of the father’s shirt, capturing the viewer’s attention, and drawing importance to this particular son.

Social Identity: Lai Foong Moi

Lai Foong Moi, Labourer (Lunch Break), 1965, Oil on canvas

1. DESCRIBE the artwork.

The painting is set in a coffee shop, a place where workers relax and enjoy their meals. In the painting, a young man is the main subject. He is dressed in casual clothing, namely a white singlet, a navy blue Chinese traditional shirt that is unbuttoned and a simple pair of grey shorts. The man appears to be gazing in a direction away from the viewer, and seems to be pondering about something. His facial expression is rather serious and imbues a sense of dignity about him. He sits on a chair with his legs comfortably spread out, his left arm hung loosely over the chair, and his right arm resting on his thigh. His posture and his casual clothes illustrate a very relaxed stance. The man’s skin appears to be very tanned, a golden-brown colour, and his legs are very toned and muscular.

Behind him, in the background, a samsui woman, wearing a plain black long-sleeved shirt, is eating with a pair of chopsticks from a tiffin carrier. She sits facing the white wall with her back to the viewer. She dons a wide, red samsui hat on her head that is meant to protect her from weather elements like the sun and the wind as she labours outdoors.

2. Analyze the symbolism in the artwork.

In the painting, the man is in the foreground and is the main subject matter, whereas the woman is much smaller in scale as compared to the man, and is facing the wall with her back to the viewers. The placement of the man and the samsui woman conveys how women were of lower status than man at the time that the artwork was painted.

Lai conveyed the peoples’ lifestyle at the time, through the toned and muscular legs of the man, suggesting that the people worked very hard to make a living. The people also lived simplistic lives as can be seen from the simple clothing they wear.

Self Identity 3: Bayu Utomo Radjikin

Bayu Utomo Radjikin, Lang Kacang, 1991, Mixed Media

1. What about the sculpture (physical attributes) reflects the fact that the traditional culture is being abandoned?

Radjikin portrayed the warrior, with his head tossed back in defiance and his mouth open, like a battlecry for freedom and justice, perhaps demanding democracy from the government. This suggests the loss of tradition and culture as the people no longer have freedom.

The armour of the warrior is old and has holes in it, indicating that it does not protect the wearer very well, which symbolizes the loss of tradition, as the idea of a warrior, standing up for oneself, is lost.

2. Why is this work classified as Post-Modern?

This work is classified as Post-Modern as Radjikin’s sculpture criticizes society and reflects the fact that the traditional culture from Malaysia is being abandoned. Radjikin used his art to explore and undermine the way society imposes traditional hierarchies and cultural values and meanings.

3. Please DESCRIBE the artwork

An armless warrior is standing tall, with his chest stuck out, and his head lifted upwards and tossed back in defiance. He has on a traditional warrior’s headdress and there are three long feathers sticking out of the back of his coconut-husk head. His face is rather abstract, lacking any clearly defined facial features while his mouth is open, as if calling out. His knees are bent awkwardly at 90 degree angles, and are far apart. The metal armour he dons is hollow and has holes in it that form spiral patterns. There are metal chains are draped around his shoulders and at his legs. The overall colour of the sculpture is dull and brownish, except his face which is a bright orangey yellow.

Self Identity 2: Vincent Van Gogh

Vincent Van Gogh, Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear, 1889, Oil on Canvas

1. Many artists like to idealize themselves, as their self-portraits will be how they are remembered. Why would Van Gogh highlight his weakness? Remember to IDENTIFY his weakness in your answer.

Van Gogh highlighted his mental instability and the misery of his life in his self-portrait as he did not want to hide anything from his viewers, and wanted them to understand his life and see him and as who he truly was. Van Gogh chose to portray his weakness in his self-portrait because he wanted people to remember him as an imperfect human with weaknesses and flaws.

2. What is the mood, or feeling, of this work of art? Please use the painting, as well as historical knowledge to justify your answer.

Van Gogh’s Self-Portrait evokes a sad and somber but calm feeling in the viewers. Van Gogh applied mainly cool colours (especially cool greens) throughout the self portrait, and loose expressive brushstrokes, which create a calming effect in the viewers. He painted himself with a somber facial expression and a strong intensity in his eyes, focusing intently outward, with some degree of unspoken emotion.

Self Identity 1: Affandi

Affandi, Self-Portrait, 1975, oil on canvas

1. Describe this painting.

This painting is a self portrait of Affandi. The painting depicts an elderly man, with unkempt, thinning hair and missing teeth. Influenced by Van Gogh, Affandi has painted himself in an expressionistic style, employing the use of colour and lines to portray a rather abstract image of himself.

The colours used are largely exaggerated and detached from reality. Affandi applied mainly warm colours like red, yellow and orange throughout the painting, except for some earthly brown and flesh undertones, as well as some cooler hues of green and purple in the background. The cool colours have a receding effect, thus making his face stand out.

In his self portrait, Affandi executed curvilinear, wavy and fluid lines, that vary in direction and thickness. The expressive and convoluted brushstrokes, are created by directly squeezing the paint out of the tube and onto the canvas, and painting with his fingers. A rough texture is created due to the thickly applied paint.

2. How does the artist create movement in this artwork?

Affandi's unique style of squeezing paint directly onto a canvas, and painting with his bare hands allows him to paint freely and expressively, producing wavy lines that create a rhythmic movement.

The viewer's eyes follow the lines and curves, tracing the contours of his face and features. The lack of uniformity and the fluidity of the lines and swirls evoke a sense of freedom in movement.

3. What is your interpretation of this artwork and why?

Painting by pure instinct and impulse, Affandi expressed himself freely, exuding his personality. In his self portrait, Affandi dared to portray his physical flaws, including his broken teeth and thinning hair. However, his wide grin, as well as the vibrant colours splashed across his face imbibe a sense of dynamism and passion despite his old age.

Affandi abandoned his paintbrush and chose to paint with his bare hands. Affandi seeks to convey that age and appearance do not matter, and that each individual's personality, confidence and passion is what truly counts.