Art Major II Mid-Term “Feeling Boxed In?”

What is “Trompe L’Oeil”? “Trompe L’ Oeil A French term literally meaning "trick the eye." Sometimes called illusionism, it's a style of painting which gives the appearance of three-dimensional, or photographic realism.” …from Artlex.com

More on Trompe L’ Oeil… The discovery of linear perspective in fifteenth-century Italy and advancements in the science of optics in the seventeenth-century Netherlands enabled artists to render object and spaces with eye-fooling exactitude. Both playful and intellectually serious, trompe artists toy with spectators' seeing to raise questions about the nature of art and perception.

Trompe L’ Oeil Myth There is a story from ancient Greece that two painters were rivals in a contest: each would try to make a picture that produced a more perfect illusion of the real world. One, named Zeuxis, painted a likeness of grapes so natural that birds flew down to peck at them. Then his opponent, Parrhasius brought in his picture covered in a cloth. Reaching out to lift the curtain, Zeuxis was stunned to discover he had lost the contest. What had appeared to be a cloth was in reality his rival's painting.

What will you be creating? Your mid-term will consist of as realistic a portrayal of yourself, contorting to fit in a box (horizontal or vertical). You will be cropping for the best composition possible. See Hand-out for details.

In what medium will you work? White tempera paint on black paper BONUS: What color scheme will this be?

Correct! The Achromatic Color Scheme

           Claudio Bravo “White Cloth” (Chilean, 1936-) black conté on paper 34.9 x 27.9 cm, 1991 Ubicación Colección Particular. See drapery.

                 Pere Borrell del Caso (Spanish, 19th century) “Escaping Criticism” 1874, oil on canvas Banco de España, Madrid. In advance of art criticism, this boy (the painting itself) appears to escape his (its) frame

                       Marilyn Anne Levine “Dark Grey Satchel” (American, 1935-) 1974, ceramic Arizona State University Art Museum, Tempe.

                           Larry Charles “Art Rules” (American, 1951-) oil on panel, 16 x 20 inches private collection.

Get started TODAY! This Mid-term project is due the day of your scheduled mid-term. You will have no class time to work on this project. We will have a graded class critique during the mid-term exam time. Be prepared! 