Final Art Analysis - EXAMPLE 1

During my time in Temple Contemporary, I found myself particularly drawn to the piece Mind Off, created by Grace Rosario Perkins in 2020. It is primarily a painting made on canvas with acrylic paint, spray paint, paper, ink, and some sort of tape or adhesive used to affix a woven Navajo bowl to the painting. Perkins uses these various materials to create what I believe to be a love letter to her home of Arizona. Using a number of artistic elements and strategies, namely color, form, and materials, Perkins created Mind Off to share with the world her love for the American Southwest and the vibrant culture contained therein. A culture which Perkins seeks to protect and honor in every inch of her piece.

Even those without a keen eye for art appreciation can tell this piece is fraught with Southwestern influences, particularly in the realm of color. The splashes and streaks spread across the canvas share clear similarities with the colors one might find in the landscape of the American Southwest. Varying shades of red and peach paired with several deep browns and oranges pay homage to the rocky cliffs and mesas riddled throughout the artist’s home state of Arizona. The warm tones as a whole suck viewers into the climate of her home, where heat can feel almost intense enough to see. Even the scarce sources of water that can be found in the Southwest are acknowledged in the piece, with a precious few streaks of deep blue added to combat the warmth found in the rest of the piece. With these colors, Perkins shares with viewers her home.

As tends to be the case in abstract art, the form of this piece is rather nebulous. While lines and shapes can be made out, what those figures represent is likely a mystery to anyone but the artist herself. The background is simply a swirl of color resembling the disorganized creativity of a tie-dye shirt. There is no clear rhyme or reason for the way the colors are placed. This lack of discernible form allows viewers to focus their attention on the foreground of the work, in which figures are more apparent in black and grey lines. These lines encircle two paper signs at the center of the piece and rise to the basket adhered to the top of the work, curving beneath it in an arc. These lines loosely resemble the bars of a gate, to which the signs reading “Take your mind off Arizona,” and “Arizona take your mind off” may be affixed. On a gate, these signs resemble signs reading “Keep out” that one might find on a gate to private property. If this is what they represent, they are likely telling foreigners to pay respect towards the land and the culture of its natives, something Spanish colonials notoriously failed to do. Using these grey figures against the colorful backdrop of Southwestern nature, Perkins both communicates her love and passion for her homeland and takes a stand against those who may seek to defile it.

Another notable aspect of this piece is the materials Perkins uses to assemble it. One creative choice of hers is to use a mix of both acrylic paint and spray paint. Though only one of which would truly be necessary in any given painting, she uses a balanced mixture to communicate various aspects of the land she is paying homage to. The areas of spray paint are lighter colors, such as soft oranges and yellows. Meanwhile, the areas of acrylic paint tend to be the slightly harsher ones, such as deep reds and ocean blues. The use of acrylic allows Perkins to make these colors as deep as she wants, while a conservative use of spray paint communicates gentle warmth and brightness. In concert, these paints depict both the beauty and the intensity of the harsh terrain the Southwest is known for, as well as allow viewers from across the world to gain a deeper understanding and respect for the beauty of Perkins’ home. With this delicate, precise use of different paints in specific colors, even a Philadelphian like myself can feel like they are standing in the artist’s backyard.

Sketch of artwork As a whole, Mind Off by Grace Rosario Perkins details the artist’s deep love for the Southwest, while at the same time, taking up arms to defend it from those without the same knowledge and respect for the culture that Perkins has. It shares with the world the magnificent beauty of Arizona, as well as the importance of defending that beauty from those without an appreciation for it. Perkins has too much respect for her home to see it spat on by colonials who seek to profit from the land and the Navajo culture, and this conviction is broadcast in every inch of her piece. Mind Off sets an important example for other artists who may be inspired to use their talents and creativity to advocate for social change. With pieces like Mind Off and artists like Grace Rosario Perkins, art will hopefully pave the way towards the social growth and understanding we all wish to see more of in the world.

Final Art Analysis - EXAMPLE 2

Adee Roberson
Tamarind, 2019
Hold me baby, 2019, Acrylic and Screenprint on paper
Untitled (grandparents), 2019, Acrylic and Screenprint on paper
High Low, 2019, Acrylic and Screenprint on paper

Through this work, Adee Roberson brings to life the story of not only her family but the story of many other black immigrants who came to America from various places due to the dissemination of slaves during the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. Roberson creates a body of work that fully expresses the journey and adaptation of immigrants coming to America and the importance of keeping their culture alive through the next generations, adding to the “multiple Americas within one nation” as described by James Baldwin. This work is very personal, displaying her families’ heritage and how it has been passed down from her grandmother who came from Kingston, Jamaica to New York in 1961.

The title of this artwork, Tamarind, comes from Tamarind trees which are leguminous fruit bearing trees found mostly in tropical Africa. Its fruits contain a sweet pulp which can be found in many cuisines around the world while its oils are used for medicinal purposes and wood/metal polish. Tamarind ties in with the background of this artwork which is a collage of menus that list foods of cultural significant to Jamaica and people of African dissent. Although the menus all list the same foods, they are individually colored blue, green, and pink to connect with the palette of the three photos that are laid on top on the menus. There are three framed photographs laid out across the wall of menus, each shot on film in black and white which make up the total artwork. The first picture shows two women smiling while the woman in the foreground holds a sleeping baby and the woman in the background hides behind her, showing off only half of her body. They both have white T-shirts on with black pants in what looks like a basement surrounded by wood panel walls and a couch behind them. Both women are turned right so they can face the camera which is away from the couch and wall. There are orange and yellow flare marks on parts of the photograph and a layer of pink and blue acrylic which blends in the middle starting from pink at the top. The blue paint darkens the already dimly lit photograph while the pink highlights the women’s faces and brightens the top half of the room. This photograph is titled Hold me baby.

The second photograph shows a man and a woman sitting on a couch holding hands in what appears to be a living room. In this image, titled Untitled(grandparents), the faces of these people are too dark to register any facial features but based on the description of the work they are most likely Roberson’s grandparents. Their silhouettes are turned about 70 degrees towards the camera and angled slightly upwards as the camera operator is standing up in front of them. The man is dressed in dark clothing while the woman has a white turtleneck with some type of designs and two glistening earrings. This entire print was painted with a pinkish red acrylic. The last photograph, titled High low, shows two children, a girl and a boy similar in age, who are seen standing in front of a bush with a dirt path to their left. They are both stationary, posing for the camera, looking up. The young girl has on a white dress and braided hair while the boy stands in a t-shirt and shorts, all of which look like they could be from the 60s-80s. The girl has a darker complexion than the boy as well. It is very bright out meaning they could have been out playing or going for a walk judging by their leisurely attire. This print was painted in green with highlights of pink, probably to give off the effect of being in nature.

The importance of color in this work is great as it connects the photos to not just the menus in the background, but the culture of Roberson’s ancestors that was brought by them to America for her to also experience. Each image holds a different story involving at least two individuals and the person taking the photograph. Without one of these images, her story would have changed drastically, and the stories of her ancestors would be forgotten. This work is about the preservation of memory and culture throughout a families’ journey to America, told by a generation whose job it is now to keep it alive through the next generation.

If you are looking for examples to give you an idea of what an art analysis looks like, see the following:

Formal or Critical Analysis by Pamela Sachant, Peggy Blood, Jeffery LeMieux, & Rita Tekippe, University System of Georgia via GALILEO Open Learning Materials
Formal Analysis Paper Examples - Sample Paper #3, Windgate Center of Art + Design, University of Arkansas at Little Rock

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