Thomasos, Denyse (1995). Urban Jewels [acrylic on canvas]. Lennon, Weinberg, NY.

Normally I have a taste for restricted color schemes, but in this case the widely varied palette works well; it mimics the excitement and variety of urban city life. The most effective component to this work is how effortlessly Thomasos places the impression of a metropolis in the mind of the observer through rapid, rough lines. The only source of contrast is their relative angles, alignment, and dimensions of hue. | 

This work is an exceptionally strong example of what objective abstraction is meant to be. The subject (a cityscape) is identifiable through only a handful of elements: line (and their angles and proximities), color, value and purity. The work is lush with the grimy excitement of city life. The primary visual element of this work is line. They are short, wide and dense in treatment, oriented at perpendicular, overlapping angles to each other to create what seem to be squat skyscrapers. Next, the elements of color, value and purity are applied to the lines. 

One of the strengths of this work is how, given the constricted elemental use, formulaic methods of building space are not employed. There is no change in line edge treatment, adjustment in color purity or value from “front” to “back”, nor is diminution used. All would be methods a beginning visual arts professional would use to imitate depth, however Thomasos is able to build a strong, intuitive impression of depth without variation on any of these points. How she accomplishes this is very impressive. 

Pictorially, this work is rigidly balanced by both dimensions. Light, moderate and dense elements are overlapped and mashed together in an equal manner. This work is dominated by dense lines that unify to create a rough-textured pattern. This is contrasted by the approximately balanced application of color, and full, evenly-paced use of values and intensity. The homogenous quality of this work causes the eye to swirl in circular patterns over the entire canvas. Typically, this is to be avoided, however not having specifically identifiable areas of gravity works exceedingly well in this painting.

 The viewer seems to be floating in air, looking downward at an oblique angle at the bustling cityscape. The frame crops the scene in a manner that gives the impression that the elements extend in all directions without variation. Thomasos “breaks” two guiding principles of visual design and still creates a beautiful scene. Taken in total, the expert use of a limited pool of visual elements, the calibration of their qualities, and intuitive spatial arrangement results in a work that is truly unified and effective at inspiring a specific feeling in the viewer. 

Zhen, Wu (attributed to) (14th century). Bamboo in the Wind [ink on paper]. Chinese and Japanese Special Fund. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Bamboo in the Wind is a beautiful, subtle work that presents its subject matter effortlessly. What amounts to a mass of short, oblique strokes contrasted with long, vertical, gracefully curving ones expertly presents bamboos and leaves in a storm. | 


The subject is bamboo trees gently bowing to a windy storm. A downpour is not elementally rendered, but the presentation of the subject is done with such grace that it doesn’t need to be. The impression of witnessing these moments in a storm is simply a reaction on the part of the observer; tension builds in the chest and muscles. Beyond the careful treatment of the scene, this is accomplished with ink wash on paper.

The beauty of this scene is built through three primary elements: Short, wide, horizontally-oriented strokes; gracefully curved vertical strokes; and value, which is treated with the most sensitivity in the scene, and gives the impression of a downpour. Vertically oriented characters on the bottom right portion of the picture plane seamlessly bind with the values of the swaying trees. The way space is created reflects the elegance of this work. For this, two attributes are used: value and texture. Both are calibrated to perfection; value is the primary space-establishing element, texture is subordinate due to its subtlety. 

This work is nearly symmetrical, vertically and horizontally balanced, resulting in four equivalent quadrants. Yet, in spite of this strategy that runs a risk of monotony, it is far from static. The effortless balance it achieves is consistent with the overall grace of the work. The natural and man-made (characters) elements are juxtaposed. Line treatment communicates a balance between fragile, graceful elements and unyielding, dense ones. The crisscross pattern built by the leaves, “reading” them from left to right, creates the impression that they are smacking against each other in the wind; time is established in an extended moment. 

This work is a case study in organic unity. I would make the argument that it requires more elements because so few are used. This simply does not apply. Economic perfection is achieved. The viewer is witnessing the struggle of these stalks resisting the weather, almost within arm’s reach of them. One gets the impression they could step into the picture plane, and after a few steps see the next patch of bamboos hidden by the sheets of rain. 

Daumier, Henoré (1865-1866). Street Sideshow [chalk and watercolor on laid paper]. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

This is a work that communicates energy, motion and excitement very well. A free-flowing stylistic approach to both general and detailed elements supports the gestural nature of this work. I believe the strongest suit of this work is economy, and unity is achieved. | 


As will be explained, a near-perfect balance of realism and abstraction is used to create this semiabstract scene of two street performers. This balance, and the calibration of a handful of additional formal elements, inspire a sense of excitement and spectacle in the observer. This is created through a combination of chalk (shape and background) and watercolor (line), used freely and expressively. 

Line is used to create detail and convey motion; it is what builds value and hierarchy, the absence of which communicates subordinate areas in direct proportion to its use. Shape is treated in a mostly biomorphic format and expertly supports the energy created by the treatment of line. Color is probably a primary tetrad; red and blue are relatively pure, however red is shaded and blue is tinted. Yellow is what the background is based on and is largely diluted. A basic foreground/background format is intuitively created through overlap and diminishing detail. A consistent light source further supports the work’s sense of space.

Pictorial balance is static. Elemental density leans to the right half, yet is strongly counter-weighted by the lines of force created by the gestures of the figures and the calibration of the background. The color scheme, when purity is compared to surface area, is in near-perfect balance. Line is the vehicle that controls eye movement, from the elevated figure gesturing upward and outward down to the supporting figure directing energy into a more local and downward area.

This is truly a strong work that effectively uses the proper selection (or absence) and proportion of formal elements to create a sense of motion and excitement. Time is even implied in how the arms of the figures are created. The viewer is a spectator, watching the performance at an intimate yet respectable distance. One can almost hear the shouting and sounds of percussion. 

Mondrian, Piet (1922). Composition with Blue, Black, Yellow and Red [gouche on paper]. Nationalgalerie, Berlin.

This subject is not conventional, it is built on the fundamental artistic elements of line, shape, space and color. This effectively merges subject and form, since the formal elements are the subject. The concept seems to be an analysis of what the basic components of art are. The elements seem related through thick black strokes. Pictorial binding is established through similar shapes (squares) although they vary in size, color and tone. The color scheme is simple, the subtractive primaries. The sense of space is decorative, strokes and elements seem to float above white ground. 

There are a variety of versions to this series, but generally they are all nearly symmetrically balanced. Harmony and variety are nearly proportional to each other; the use of line, space and colors have a binding effect; color and their distance from each other on the hue scale, as well as their spatial arrangement, counter this. The large, white elements seem balanced in proportion to smaller, colored elements. Elements, as the only communicative vehicle in this work, will vary by example in series. All elements are at perpendicular and straight angles (ie no curves or circles) and a single stroke weight. All shapes are geometric and rectilinear. 

Pure color and void color can be seen as in equal balance because of their treatment. Some elements with variety in their qualities (eg, size and color) provide more interesting areas for eye focus. The only movement evident is that inherent in the lines with zero variation in any of their qualities; they lead to and away from areas of pure color through fields of white. This painting is a case study in providing only enough elemental information to express a basic “point”: An absolute distillation of artistic elements to three primary colors, two terminal and opposite tones, two angles, one shape and a flat field and flat ground. 

There is no reference to scale; a straight on viewing angle is implied by the treatment of each perfect geometric shape. In the end, in my opinion, this is a strong example of nonobjective abstraction that sets up its own, albeit simple, "realm" to describe reality and uses those elements effectively. If there is a message, it is that all works, no matter how realistic optically or complicated, can be distilled to the elements shown here, except for the fact that curved and round forms are missing. 

Steir, Pat (2005). Summer Moon [oil on canvas]. Cheim & Read, New York.

I would make the argument that this is certainly a work of fine art, but I believe it’s also a good example of a work that would be less accessible to those who are not interested in formal artistic dialog. I.e., it is a mess with a sloppy splotch smeared from top to bottom. However, I see a background texture treated with the perfect color purity to cause the subject to “jump out” and almost hover on the picture plain. This is also because of the stronger definition of its forms and the complimentary and pure treatment of its colors. For me, identifying the position of the viewer is not strictly possible. However, the mass seems to be suspended in air, the background imitating a forest, putting the viewer on the ground, diminished, and looking up into the “sky”. This is assuming a large scale of the elements in the picture plane. | 

The subject seems to be the treatment of line to create field and ground; the implied force of gravity causes a pure mass of color to stretch into brittle lines imitated and repeated by the ground. Point, line, color, value and purity effectively summarize the elemental structure. The use of point seems to converge to a lop-sided area above the optical center. The implication is that many of these tiny pure shaded green points collected to cause a single mass to form that could not resist gravity. Tinted and impure complements texture the background, and the only element used to create this texture is vertical lines. 

The color scheme is tetradic: impure orange and blue on the background gradient, pure green and red on the field. The rendering of this work bisects it into two roughly equal horizontal halves. It does not have a sense of vertical static balance; the treatment of the subject has a strong downward thrust. This work is a study of proportional balance: The attributes of the field are outnumbered by the ground, however the calibration of qualities like color purity and value bring both into a sense of visual balance. This work is thoroughly dominated by the use of vertical, brittle lines. The only differing shape to compare line to is point, and it does not effectively compete. Eye movement starts at the subject, follows its downward motion, then swirls around the background and back to the subject again. 

Unity seems to be achieved; economy may not be perfect, but is balanced effectively. It’s possible the downward green strokes do not number enough, however their current (and final) treatment gives the impression that the mass has not had long to begin to separate. 

Zorn, Andres (1893). The Toast [etching]. Kupferstichkabinett, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Dresden.

This work is an etching that excels at realism considering the medium, but is not photorealistic. There is a single element (line) used to create shapes, value and a sense of space. The scene depicts a rotund, aged man dressed and surrounded by opulence, apparently enjoying his success. The work does not seem to be a cynical commentary on capitalism. Overall the work is naturalistic, but specific. The subject is clearly a wealthy capitalist, a near portrait because the rendering is accomplished respectfully. Illustrative cross-hatching is how the entire work is built. If this work is a commission endorsed by the subject, he wanted to present himself in the passive action of enjoying his success, as opposed to acknowledging the artist and the viewers. 

This work is a case study in cross-hatching. A general-to-specific approach was clearly used to build the depiction, resulting in a wholistic rendering. Value is particularly well-developed, and not only because color is not used. Space is established primarily through diminishing detail. Background figures are rendered with care but are completely non-specific. The portion of the background with no figures is minimally built. Pictorially, the scene is quite static. The subject is large and stable, favors the left side of the PP, but his rightward gaze counters this. He clearly dominates, as does the use of line, it’s direction (mostly various angles of vertical) and a seamless texture built by cross-hatching. 

The value range is fully explored and balanced. Eye movement starts at the figure’s self-satisfied expression and moves in a triangular pattern to the two symbols of wealth he carries, a half-full glass and cigar. Next, the figures in the background re-direct attention to the subject. Elemental choices, a richly developed scene and strong sense of space, while being limited to a single elemental unit (hatch line), organically combine to achieve pictorial unity. The viewer is a bystander, like the background figures, who all but fawn after the subject. The perspective is from an oblique angle and slightly beneath his eye line, hinting that the subject is of a higher social class than everyone involved, including the viewer. 

Sykora, Zdenek (1988). Line No. 50 [oil on canvas]. National Gallery in Prague.

This is a very interesting, intricate painting. The character of the work is energetic, lively, and spatially aware. Graceful use of curved lines cropped by the PF give the viewer the impression of being surrounded by the strokes. | 

A sense of space is built through diminution. It becomes ambiguous because of how some of the slighter elements, which seem further in the distance, overlap the thicker ones. Detail, value and purity are not used to build depth, but are used in the work for other purposes. Line is the field and the only positive element; negative white space is the ground. The color palette does not seem to use a conventional strategy; the primaries are the purist, the secondaries are present and diluted. For example, there are strokes that could be considered orange, but are more likely to be dirty reds. While the use of line as an element, in total, creates an effective illusion of plastic space, they do not vary in purity or value taken individually. The result is a combination of lines that are themselves decorative but do create depth when considered in whole. 

This work is not “static” but quite balanced. Slight and dense strokes and colors are presented in nearly equivalent proportions throughout the PP. Asymmetry applies, only because the horizontal and vertical halves are not literal reflections of each other. A single element harmonizes and dominates the work: curvilinear lines. Contrast is present but less of a priority. This is built through graceful versus abrupt changes in direction, an intuitive color scheme, variations in stroke thickness and the shape of the PF. The energy and volume of positive curves is perfectly balanced against the negative plastic space. More than elemental contrast, attention is achieved through motion and energy. Eye movement swirls in overlapping patterns from tangled areas, along dense strokes to other less complicated areas, and finally along the slight strokes that seem to sink into the canvas. 

This is an excellent, unified work supported by the professional and measured use of a single element. The viewer could easily be in the center of this tangled mess of strokes, in all directions. The way the PF is integrated into the PP leaves the impression that the elements surround the viewer in all directions.