1. Abstracting the Figure
Analyzing Art

2. Seeing Things Differently

3. Portrait of Sally Taylor Smith Adalbert Wunder ca. 1850-60

4. Reflection
Make a list of facts:
Make some inferences:

5. Self-Portrait in Green Gertrude Abercrombie 1938

6. Reflection List of facts:
Compare with the portrait of Sally Taylor Smith:
Does Gertrude look as friendly as Sally?
Why or why not?

7. Figure by the Window Manierre Dawson 1915

8. Reflection What is different about this picture?
Which picture seems to have movement?
What might this picture represent?

9. Young Woman with a Water Jug Jan Vermeer 1662

10. Reflection
What is similar to the Dawson painting, “Figure by the Window”?
What is different?
Do you think Dawson used the Vermeer to begin his composition? Why or why not?
Is it okay for an artist to copy another artist’s work?
Why or why not?

11. Colour
Abstract artists use a variety of strategies as they choose colour for their paintings.
Local Colour
Emotional Colour
Arbitrary Colour

12. Local Colour
Artists might use some of the colour that is actually present in their subject matter as a beginning for their colour choice.
Yellow = blonde hair
Pink = Caucasian skin colour

13. Emotional Colour
Sometimes artists use colours as stand-in symbolism for emotion.
Bright red = anger
Cool blue = sadness

14. Arbitrary Colour
Arbitrary colour choices might be part of a program, eg: variations on blue, or chosen by chance (close your eyes and choose a colour).
May be whatever colours are available to the artist.