LindsayDorst

Toler
Art1020ConcurrentEnrollment
17December2015
ArtistInspiredProject
Ihaveselectedartist,FrancisBerry'sLuckyformyArtistInspiredProject.

FrancisBerrywasborninColoradointhelate1950'sandraisedinSwitzerlandhowever,

hereturnedtotheU.S.in1977andsettledinSanFrancisco,CA.

Throughoutthe80's,Berrybeganpursuingafigurativestyleart.

In1990,hereceivedaJeromeFoundationFellowshipattheKalaArtInstitute,Berkeley.

Soonafter,Berrylongedtofindhisownvoice,integratingsurrealism,cubism,andfunk

artintoarichsynthesis.

Berry'spaintingsanddrawingsembodycontemporarysensibilitiestypicalofpostmodern

art.

Hismosaiclikecompositionsemphasizetheemotionaldimensionofthingsratherthan

theirobjectiveappearancetoconveyahighersenseofselfconscioussubjectivity.

FrancisBerry'sworkismostconsideredasaccessible,humorous,andlush.

Berry'sartissaidtocreateafeelingofanundercurrentofcriticalconsciousnessand

spiritualaspiration.

In2004,BerryreceivedthehonorofAcademiaInternazionaleGreciMarino,Academia

DelVerbano:HonoraryArtDegree.
Critique:
ThefirsttimeIviewedthepiece,"Lucky",Iwasimmediatelydrawntotheexpressionof
thecharacterinthepiece.Itmademefeelasenseofdrearinessanddiscouragement.However,I
amveryintriguedbythisartstyleIlovethewayitlooksandhowitexpressesacertain
emotiontomaketheviewerfeelforit.
Thecanvasisroyalbluewithatextureofextremelysmallstipplesandstreaksofwhite
thuscreatingafaintlighttoportraytheskyasifitisnighttime.Thefaintlightisbeingshown
fromatypicallyshaped,whitestaratthetopleftofthepiece.Thereisacharactertothe
middlerightofthepiece.Itisfacingawayfromthestar.Itisamaledressedinsemiwornout
clothing.Itistatteredwithpatchesandbuttonsconsistingofmutedshadesofgreen,yellow,and
abrownishorangefurthermore,hisshoesarethesamecolorastheskyroyalblue.Themale
hasextremelypaleskinthatisaverymutedyellow,nearlywhite.Themaleisstandingontopof
aroofwhichgetscutoffatthebottomportionofthepiece.Thisroofisonlyyellowand
brownishorange.Theexpressionofthischaracteriswhatreallydrewmeintothispiece.His
expressioncreatesafeelingofdisappointmentordiscouragementbyhavingasubtlefrownand
downwardslantedeyebrows.Thisgivesthecharacteragloomyemotion.
Thepieceitselfismoreofacartoonthanarealisticview.Berry'suseofmutedand
"ratted"colorscreatesanemphasisontheopposingroyalbluesky.Becausethebackground

spaceisamuchmorelightenedarea,italsoshowscontrast.Thecontrastbetweentheskyandthe
characteriswhatmakesyoufocusonthetwoindividually.Themutedcolorsinthecharacter's
clothingandskinsupportsthecreationoftheemotionofdisappointment.Berryalsoincludes
ratherunneatlinesorshapes.Thecreationofjaggedoutlinesandoccasionalgeometricshapes
enticesthepurposeofsomethingmorelaidback,orrandomcreationsandthoughts.Ialso
believetheelongatedfaceshapeofthecharacterenticestheexpressionofthecharacter'sface
makingitseemmoreofagrimlook.Sincethebackgroundofthispieceispurelybluewith
almostnootherobjects(besidesthestar)fillingthesky,itemphasisestheemptyspace
surroundingthecheerlessman.Thisleadstowhattheartistmaybeportrayinginthispiece.
Ibelievethatthispieceisaportrayaloftheemptinessonemayfeelashumanslivingon
earth.ThereismuchmorebeyondthisearthandIbelievethatthecharacterislongingtofind
somethingbeyondwhatheseesfromhisrooftopabright,simplestar.Perhapsthereisa
possiblelongingnesstodiscovermoreaboutwhatisbeyondthestarsandwhatisbeyondhis
rooftop.Theemotionportrayedbythemaleiswhatprovidesevidencethatthismaybetrue.
However,thispieceistitled,Luckysoitmayportraythesensethatheisblessedandprovided
withclothingandahome,yethestilllongsforsomethingmorewhatisbeyondhim.These
theoriesmakemefeellikethereisabroadspectrumofwhatisaroundus.Thereismuchmore
thanwhatweareusedtoseeingeveryday.Therearedifferentcultures,people,andlandsthatwe,
ashumans,mayhaveneverseen.Thiscangetveryintellectualbecauseitgetsmethinkingabout

howwetakewhatwehaveforgranted.Weusesomanythingseverydaythatmakeuswhowe
areandeachpersonexperiencessomethingneweveryday.Therefore,Ibelievethatthisartwork
isportrayingameaningofbeyondness.Thereismoreouttherethanwecouldeverknowand
whilethinkingaboutitinthisperspective,itmayseemasifonecanfeelthesameemotionsas
thediscouragedmale.Asformyself,IenjoythispiecebecauseIfeelasifIrelatetoitinsome
manner.Itakeagenuineinterestinastronomicalstudiestherefore,spaceandwhatisbeyondus
naturallyinterestsme.Thefeelingofbeingcrestfallenwhenlivinginsuchasmallpartofthe
universe,almostmakesmefeelasifIamlongingtofindmoreoftheworldasifIamthe
character.AlthoughIamextremelyblessedandprivilegedwitheverythingIhavebeengivenor
experiencedintheplaceIlivein,Idliketoexperiencewhatisoutsideofmyeverydaylifea nd
culturalnorms.
Thisartworkisaprofoundsuccessbecauseitishedonistandexpressionist.Hedonist
meansthatispleasesme,whichitdoes.Anexpressionistpiecemeansthatitsimplyexpresses
feelings,emotions,orideasoftheartist.Thisisagoodworkofartbecauseitincludesbasic
elementsofintriquiteshapes,contrastingcolorsandforms.Alsoincludingthebalancebetween
theelementsandtheproportionofproximity.Theelementsandtechniquesusedcreatethe
overallemotion(expressionist)andatthesametimeitportraysaprofoundthoughtprocessand
makestheviewerthinkforhimself/herself.Ithinkthatthisisamajorkeytohelptheviewer
understandhowthepiecemakeshe/shefeel,whichiswhattheartistmaybegoingfor.Overall,
IbelievethatFrancisBerryproducedaverymeaningfulandeffectiveartpiecethatwasan
incrediblesuccesstotheviewer.Therefore,Icreatedaninspiredartpieceofthisworkand

includedthesameconceptofadownmanandaroyalbluesky.Iemphasisedthecolors
brightnesstocreatebalancebetweentheemotionofthecharacterandtheentirescene.Ialso
includedtwootherplanetsasidethebrightstar.