1. What is the title of the drawing?
l Inspired1998
2. What is the name of the artist?
l Tracey Emin
3. What is the year the drawing was done?
l 1998
4. What is the medium?
l Mono print, pencil on paper
5. What is the subject matter or general theme of the work?
l This is a painting with a combination of text and image, which is about Emin’s daily life. This one is about a woman’s (Emin’s) state after repeatedly making the same mistake.
6. What is the purpose of the drawing?
l For Emin, since the theme of her mono-print drawings is all about her life (sex, family, abortion- you name it), which we can conclude that this drawing also serves as daily journals in order to express her view and emotion. Emin once said" I work with what I know."
7. How is line used? What does it do/express?
l In the left hand side, line used is rather curved with strong pressure. It gives a sense of paranoid and we may conclude that there are some psychological problems of the artist. Maybe she is under great pressure so she honestly reflected it via using dark and heavy lines. Also, those lines have unclear development yet stick together, which I suppose it represents the in-tenable situation that Emin is facing with no way out.
l As for the lower part is a naked woman on her knees with head bow. Line here is kind of jerky and scribbles; it may reflect the vulnerable condition of her, the naked woman is so disconsolate and fragile. On the other hand, lines in her head are repeated, messy and strong, that make me think of high pressure, torturing her like overwhelming headache.
8. How is tone used? What does it do/express?
l The whole drawing is drawn in monochromatic way with only black and white color. To my belief, it may express the inner world of the artist –colorless. Although there is only two colors, they are most contrasting among others that is why the expression is never just plain.
9. What can you say about shape and /or form in this picture? What is the effect?
l The uncovered woman created by Emin is far from organic shape by viewing that the artist neglected in resembling a real person, where the body is too sketchy and we can distinguish her head barely. Apart from that, the left hand side of the picture is just some non-representational lines. They add up to a human made scenario and surreal mode.
10. Is texture a feature of the drawing?
l Emin draw this picture in a human made way, so real/ nature texture is absent. For example she only sketched the uncovered woman with no subtle details and the outline is too fragile so hardly can we feel the actual sooth touch of her skin. Moreover, the figure is flat which is hard to distinguish the texture at all.
11. What can you say about the composition of the drawing? What is the effect of this type of composition on the overall drawing?
l There are mainly three parts dominate the whole picture: text, naked woman and curvy line with no spatial content. I believe Emin handled this composition without deliberate alternation that means she just drew things pop up in her head. It makes the drawing as trustful as a journal does.
12. Is rhythm important in this picture? If so, say more about it.
l Certainly. It is a quick drawing. From the lines used in the left of the picture implies one-off technique. They are rapid, speedy and have regular rhythm.
13. Is the picture balanced? Explain.
l It is not balanced yet asymmetrical. As a mentioned above, there are three separate parts make up of the whole picture, However, the woman figure and the left hand lines serve as focal point because they are more emphasized. Those lines are exaggerated by means of darker color while the exposed character was placed in the centre.
14. Is perspective used in the picture? If so, describe the way that the illusion of three-dimensional space has been created.
l There is no such three-dimensional perspective and the human is displayed rather flat. The point of view is unusual since there is no special arrangement and linear perspective.
15. Is the picture harmonious? If so, in what way?
l I will not reckon this picture as harmonious. In fact I feel it extremely expressive, depressive and even desperate. First of all, the content of the text explains the artist making mistake again and again which lead to endless sorrow and hopelessness. Also the posture makes me feel that she is too weak to combat the current spell and stand up again. The whole thing is a tragedy. As for the way it shows, the lines are maniac and stimulating but harmonious.
16. Are there any strong contrasts in the picture? Say more.
l Firstly color contrast, the whole picture is in black and white so the color contrast stands out. All lines, text and human figure are drawn in black that go against the white background. Secondly, if merely taking the naked woman into consideration, fragile outline and intense lines of genital and head of the body is highly contrasting too. Seeming these two parts are the focusing point of the whole body. Thirdly, juxtaposition of the three parts (lines, text and the woman) is contrast with each other since they are different in nature and feature.
17. What is the mood of the drawing? Justify your answer using information from your responses above.
l Again, from the woman's posture, it shows strong regretful for her mist-doing. In additional, the upper text acts as the consciousness voice of the naked woman ( Emin as well), which is like a confession and atonement of her mistake where we can feel Emin's down mood from the picture clearly. Actually, the uncovered body is the symbol of insecurity and not being protected. It conveys of hopelessness and loneliness. Also, from the strong curvy line we can share strong emotion in spite of the above sentiment: annoyed self-hating, it appears to me that Emin has been trapping in that situation for long and loss her way to get away since the lines development is ambiguous. Last but not least, the naked woman in such a pimping posture shows that Emin was blaming herself; it is a way of punishment.
18. What does the drawing express? Justify your answer using information from your responses above.
l This drawing mainly express artist's inner feeling so what the drawing express is similar to the mood of the drawing. Or we may say, from this picture we can get to know more about the artist herself as she is trying to communicate with others by means of drawing. I guess Emin wanted to show her trauma and struggle to the rest of us. Like some art critics noted that her drawings are the honest representation of herself.
19. Choose adjective(s) that best fit(s) the work, and then justify your conclusion in terms of specific features and qualities of the drawing.
l To be honest I am quite fond on this picture although some may find it too messy and casual without impressive aesthetic value. I myself think that this work is so imaginary and expressive with communicative competence. To my mind, a good art work should not only embrace beauty, the inner value (messages) is far more important. This drawing is unprecedented for me given that it combines different elements (text and image) together so when it came to my sight (and yours), I just couldn't help wondering what is this picture about when I first looked at it. I think that this picture is not just for appreciating how refine and real the image look like, but the hidden mood and message. Most importantly, Emin drew her daily life which we may have been through, like this one Inspired. I believe that every one of us had do something wrong in our life time, and once felt desperate and loneliness. As long as this drawing is so humane, that makes this one a candid masterpiece.
Hi, This is Clio. I think the drawing is simple but it arouses my imagination such as does the woman being violent treated? Is she frighten by something so she is unwilling to raise her head? All in all, this picture gives me a feeling of horrible, sexual violent etc.
ReplyDeletei am rita, the lines used is the main feature in this picture.
ReplyDeleteI think this picture had perspective, you can see the bude woman body, because the hands are more close to us, so it looks shorter; the leg is more far with us, so, the leg is drawn in more longer way.
Hi, this is Filia. This picture is not an usual and normal one. The artist is trying to express her inside feeling. The messy lines, the posture of the lady and the words (especially "demented") which compose a confused, puzzle and taedium vitae feeling. It seems trying hard to stuggle with something or being in a dilemma.
ReplyDeleteHi, this is Molly.
ReplyDeleteI would disagree with your point that there is not texture in this drawing. I think that though the figure is left blank, the abstract sort of scribble on the left side is a strong example of texture. I think the composition of this picture is interesting. It seems that the scribble, the text, and the human figure are all given an equal amount of space on the paper which makes them all seem equally important. I think you did a really good job listing the different characteristics of this picture, maybe it would be helpful to talk more about what those features mean though in terms of the feelings this drawing evokes.
Hi,this is Eunice Choi.
ReplyDeleteI like the theme of this drawing,and also the expression of the artist.The way that the artist used words to express what he think is direct.It can show how the artist's state of mind.
Hi, Alison, This is Carin
ReplyDeleteI think the painting was quite expressive that the artist use irregular line and distored figure as for painting !!
Hi, i am Tracy.
ReplyDeleteyour drawing is like a kind of sketch. but i am appreciate for the line of this drawing. the lines really show the body figure!
This is Stacie!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the figure looks weak and cannot rise above because it seems that she is begging for mercy on her knees.
Hi, this is Lewina. This drawing is very simple and dull, only few lines are involved in it. I think the tone and rhythm are less important in this drawing which opposite to the texture. Lines are the soul of this drawing, the artist uses only lines to outline all the things as well as to conveys his messages to us. The irregular lines on the left hand side has reflected that the artist are in the burden of pressure in his daily life. By the way, I agree that it is an expressive and depressive drawing as you mentioned.
ReplyDeleteHi, I am Log.
ReplyDeleteIt is a funny drawing, and make me focus on left and bottom. The curving line make me confuse, but from the people, I got some feeling about this drawing, it is confuse...