Critiqued Assignment #2: Irony versus Sincerity / "Islands"

Abstract

This is a digital photograph of Olivia Thomas's painting. It was submitted as the second critiqued assignment, "Irony versus Sincerity," on March 1, 2017 in Erin Harmon's Intermediate/Advanced Painting class. All pieces are 36x48 or larger; acrylic on canvas. The artist's statement reads: "Disparate islands section off the bulk of this large canvas. The space not covered by differently developed islands is covered by a deep purple sea. Each island is truly a world of its own, one area mimics a bowling alley while another is a gigantic strawberry with “For Sale” signs positioned atop. An imposing planet, a stage, and a rock face fill what remains of the space. After evaluating the space, the viewer is left wondering what these spaces have to do with one another and how they all ended up in the same composition. Varied textures and a wide range of colors slow the read down for the viewer and encourage them to step into each realm and explore what it has to offer. This painting fuses the familiarity of certain objects with a multi-planar universe, resulting in a busy and confusing painting."