Research-Reproduce Paul Klee

Paul Klee 

- German artist

- December 18, 1879: Born in Münchenbuchsee, Switzerland

- 1898: started painting, later experimented with various styles and media; work influenced by Cubism of Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque & the abstract translucent color planes of Robert Delaunay

- 1914: visited Tunisia, where his sense of color was awakened

- 1915: stopped painting after a model; delved into abstract art, tookideas from poetry, music, literature, personal imagination and thoughts about his surrounding world; used titles to set up the perspective from which he wants his works to be seen

- 1920: Klee was invited to join the faculty of the Bauhaus, a former art school in Germany; he produced 10,000 works, reflecting his courses as well as his preoccupation with the relationship of colors

  - painted Static-Dynamic Gradation, Ventriloquist and Crier in the Moor in 1923, which became iconic of his style

- 1931 to December 1933: Klee taught at the Academy of Fine Art in Düsseldorf

- 1933: Nation Socialists called his artwork "degenerate", Klee returned to Bern

  - more somber art work as a result of personal strifes and the worsening political situation in Europe

  - lines become black bars, forms become broad and generalize, scale larger, and simpler colors; i.e. Comedians' Handbill 

Sources (Please don't factor into the word count):

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/klee/hd_klee.htm

Work -

I picked this painting, Senecio (1922, oil canvas), as it was said to be one of Paul Klee’s most well-known paintings, and I wanted to understand more about why that's so. I was also drawn into what appeared to be a face, painted on a nearly symmetrical circle.

On the face is an eclectic blend of shapes with similarly toned colors of red, orange, yellow, pink and white. The eyes on the shaped like interwoven leaves, with a peculiar tilt and red dark red circles as pupils. The curved black line extending from the middle of the eyes looked like either a relaxed or raised eyebrow. The nostrils are depicted by two, rectangular shapes.

Below the head is what looks like a neck and the upper shoulders of the body, with colored shapes. The background is more homogeneously colored, with a red-orange background.

The intensity of the painting is contributed by the bright colors, yet at the same time, that intensity is toned down, or maybe even intensified by the object’s lack of a true facial expression. Colors from different parts of the painting intermingle, as if the artist trying to emphasize the value of creative freedom over orderliness.   

Response -

Looking at this picture, I am confused by what event, concept or sentiment it is suppose to portray. I wonder whether the painting of the face is suppose to depict or reflect emotion. The face seems to be either pensive, thoughtful, cynical, detached, tired or confused, all which are either emotionless or negative moods.

The tilt of the head as well as the positioning of the pupils give the portrayal that the figure is looking off somewhere else, adding to the mystery of the picture. Even though the style of the painting resembles an inexperienced, young child’s artistic skill, the seemingly purposeful arrangement of the colors and shapes add to the adult-like sophistication of the painting.

I was surprised to find out that it was a painting of an old man, as the fine lines at which the colors intersect seem to add to the youthful look of the face. Apparently the portrait is also named Head of a Man Going Senile, which I think strongly resonates from the disorienting organization of the shapes.

Ultimately, I didn’t develop a strong emotional connection with the painting. However, I was very intrigued the abstract elements behind it.

Product-

I recreated Klee's painting, Senecio, using the Paint application on Windows. I used a variety of brush tools for shading and the various textures present in the original painting. I was also able to adjust the size of tool depending on the intended. For example, I used thick paint brushed to quickly shade in any of the needed colors. I would draw white pencil over a colored part of the piece, or a spray of a particular color, to add to the unkempt/textured look of the painting.

I also focused on hand-drawing the geometric shapes of the painting. I did not use the pre-made objects in the drawing board, as I think it would go against the self-imagined nature of Klee’s abstract art.

Finding the appropriate or most similar colors were one of the most difficult aspects in recreating the art. I had to explore different shades of red and orange that closely mirrored the ones that I saw in the painting. I also used different shades of red and orange to make the background of my painting look textured, as well as the use of the crayon brush tool in paint to add to the graininess.

Reflection -

I learned about Paul Klee, including a bit about the works he has done, the art institutions he attended and the artists that had influenced him. I also learned about what led him to abstract expression as his signature for of art, as well as the knowledge, emotions and thoughts that going into his works. I learned more about Senecio, one of his most famous paintings.

In recreating Senecio, I think I should have focused less on redrawing my imprecise curves and shapes, and focused more on the coloring/shading of the painting. However, given the time and tools constraints, overall, I think I captured the themes and style of the work fairly accurately.