“Divided”
by Tami Elaine

 

A fine line lies between reality and fabrication. It is a challenge to decipher art’s true intent. To me, this ambiguity is what I love most. This piece, “Divided”, poses questions in its process and in the subject’s expression. When you take away familiar scale and the universal canvas size, you are left looking closer at something you see all the time but rarely choose to appreciate. I am in awe of human characteristics and form and the way light caresses its subjects. Light sets moods, accentuates features, and allows us to see the beauty of God’s creation. The expression in this piece is well defined by light but still presents some mystery. Each square is its own individual painting. I wanted the parts as well as the whole to have significance. I hope you enjoy viewing this piece as much as I enjoyed creating it.

“Divided” was created using acrylic paints on particle board. This is my first painting, as I have been a photographer for years. It is a huge transition piece for me. I spent weeks coming up with the perfect photograph to illustrate and deciding on its scale. I then took this photograph, which I shot in the studio, and laid a grid upon it for a guide. I found that if I tried to paint a face it would be impossible. Instead, painting the shapes and tones I saw in front of me came to represent this face. I never realized how much a change in brush stroke could alter the mood of a finished piece. I found myself painting several squares 3 or so times until they were right. I chose to keep this piece black and white with subtle color accents to draw no attention to the color of its subject. I excluded hair, clothing and any other personal signatures to take away the identity of the subject and any clues as to when it was made. I wanted it to hold only the essential elements I provided it.