ARTS 1301 Homework due Oct 8th 5pm CST

Johnson 1

Jaime Johnson

Professor Jill Foltz

ARTS 1301-51401

12 February 2020

Museum Formal Analysis

Unknown Artist, Standing Dignitary, Wari culture, Peru, c. 600-1000 AD. Wood with shell-and- stone inlay and silver, 4” x 2 ½” x 1”. Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, TX.

Elements of Art

Line:

There are horizontal and vertical lines throughout most of the piece, especially in the torso of the figure. There are a few curved lines in the torso design, and no significant diagonal lines. Most of the lines are actual, created by the edges of the different inlaid stones. They are smooth and not expressive. The overall effect is stable, because almost all lines are horizontal or vertical. The artist has not used many dynamic lines.

Johnson 2

Light and Value:

The work has some high value areas in the white and light-colored inlaid stones, and low value in the black and dark blue stones.

The gallery light highlights the face and torso of the figure, drawing attention to those areas. Some shadows are cast underneath the figure’s eyebrows and on its legs, where the torso or garment hangs over them.

Color:

No primary red or yellow is used. There is blue on the figure’s nose.

The secondary colors of green, orange, and violet are all used throughout the figure, especially on its face, legs, and torso. Green is prominent in what appears to be a collar and other accents. Violet frames the figure’s face and lower legs, and orange is used as an accent in the pattern on its garments.

The edges of the piece, including its hat and feet, are a neutral gray. A neutral white or off- white is used in the figure’s face and torso design, and black is used on its eyes and cheeks.

The only warm color used on the figure is orange.

There is cool blue on the figure’s nose, and green and violet on its torso and legs.

Complementary blue and orange are used on the figure’s face, with a blue nose and orange cheeks. No other complementary pairs of color are used.

Because mostly cool colors and neutrals dominate the figure, the overall effect is calm, although some orange accents create vibrant areas.

Texture:

The object appears mostly smooth due to the use of smooth shells and inlaid stone. The areas where the pieces are inlaid may have some tactile lines, and the wood parts of the object might be more rough.

The textures reflect the materials used, and don’t seem to be altered to create any realistic effects of skin, fabric, or other textures on the figure.

Shape, Volume, and Space:

Geometric circles are visible in the figure’s eyes, cheeks, and on its epaulets. The circles on the epaulets comprise four small triangles each. Within the figure’s torso and leg garments are some rectangles and trapezoids.

Johnson 3

Some of the shapes within the figure’s garments are irregular and organic, particularly the white and violet shapes. The figure’s nose and its overall shape are organic.

Most of the piece consists of actual, positive space created by the stone, shell, and wood used. There is negative space in the open area between the figure’s legs.

This three-dimensional sculpture occupies actual space. It is small and narrow, and only one inch deep, but appears to be made of solid materials.

Principles of Composition

Unity and Variety:

The repeated use of neutrals, geometric shapes, and smooth textures throughout the piece create unity. The diversity of high and low value, and warm and cool colors, creates visual variety in the object.

Balance and Symmetry:

The object is balanced by the same visual weight in its neutral hat and feet, and in its multi- colored patterns right to left. It has the same shapes creating eyes, cheeks, and legs on each side.

The work is symmetrical because it features virtually the same shapes and colors on each side; the face, body parts, and clothing patterns are like a mirror image. However, the work does not have radial symmetry because there is not a common center point from which the shapes and lines radiate.

Pattern and Rhythm:

There are small areas of pattern in the figure’s epaulets and toes, where narrow, vertical rectangles are repeated.

The alternating green, orange, violet, and white shapes in the figure’s torso create a sense of rhythm, as do the small orange and white shapes in its epaulets and leg coverings.

Emphasis:

The focal point of the work is the figure’s face, because it contains large areas of high-value white and orange, contrasting large areas of low-value black and blue. These parts are larger

Johnson 4

than the other, smaller parts of the piece’s decoration, and also draw the viewer’s eye because they replicate a human face. Secondary accents are created by the high-value areas of white and orange throughout the rest of the piece, which stand out against the low-value violet, green, brown, and gray.

Scale and Proportion:

The scale of the work is exceptionally small. It represents a human figure, but is only four inches high, far smaller than life-sized.

Within the piece, many proportions are exaggerated. The head seems very large compared to the body, while the torso is very wide. The nose is also noticeably larger than it would be if typical proportions were used.

Summary

Overall, the artist has created visual impact by using a variety of shapes, colors, and proportions throughout the work. Its large eyes and some lively colors attract the viewer’s eye, but the predominant neutrals and stable lines maintain a stable composition.

While the work uses the form of a human, its exaggerated proportions, small scale, and unrealistic patterns, such as the literal circles for cheeks and rectangles for toes, result in a more abstract figure.