For the abstract choice, it’s difficult to see on the digital representations but I chose it because of the way the different shades of view are juxtaposed. Because this isn’t a painting of a house or a person, we skip the “schema matching” process which we would often experience with realism and begin instead to derive fresh meaning and emotion from the way the painting is created. For this one specifically, I find that the blue itself is calming and immersive, but that the slight differences in tone unsettle the eye (and consequently, how I feel) because of how much concentration it takes to be able to distinguish the different shades. Staring at the piece for a while yield more tones than those apparent at first glance and, after noticing more than a few, it’s easy to connect some of them and start to see depth and dimension. This dimension builds on the blue’s already immersive qualities and made me feel like I was getting sucked into the painting. Like the work above and despite having very strict shapes and color palettes, this piece is filled with the human element because of the little imperfections and variations which tie it to its creator. The artist (Ad Reinhardt), insisted that the work was not meant to represent emotion but rather the purity of making art just for the sake of making it; but, the feelings and symbolisms assigned to the piece are reflections of the individual’s state of mind so the intention of the artist is secondary. 

Round two: 

1) Description:

Bold

Subtle

Fine

Smooth

Geometric

Vibrant

With this work, reinhardt hoped to make “pure” paintings made simply for the sake of art itself. In an effort to reach this purity, he stripped his paintings down to their basic geometric elements, favoring color over form. The use of a single color, in varying tones, serves in improve this purity. In a similar way, symmetry and balance help bring out the simplicity and sterility reinhardt hoped to achieve. The purity and symmetry within the work serve to create a very rich emotional experience: the subtle tones, fine lines and smooth, cool color at first induce feelings of calmness and serenity. Through careful analysis of the work, the tonal changes becomes increasingly pronounced, so much that their contrast becomes a source of discomfort for the eye. To me, this reflects in an equal emotional unsettlement which disrupts the earlier feelings of calmness.

I believe that this work is successful primarily because through the purity and simplicity of the work, I was able to experience myself and my own emotions. There is little to get distracted with in the painting, and nothing comes with preinstalled meanings. The subtle tonal change, simple geometric patterns and smooth color help create a piece that I can assign my own biased meanings to, and in the process, experience the emotional effect that contemplating these meanings has on me.