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birblepercheron-blog · 8 years ago

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Anita Genovese-Mahoney 8/30/17, 2D class TCNJ, Prof. Villanueva

Formal Analysis of: Littoral Drift Nearshore #463

(Polyptych, Bainbridge Island, WA 12/1/16, Five Simulated Waves)

Dynamic Cyanotype, approx 19″x 24″ each element (total 35 elements)

Artist: Meghann Riepenhoff

Description:

The first visual intake of this piece is size. It measures 8′x14′ and is comprised of 35 19″x24″ pieces within (a polyptych). Unfortunately I have not seen it in person, but I can imagine myself being overwhelmed with regard to size (in a good way)! The materials used are paper, coated with a cyanotype solution on both sides, the solution dries and is then boxed up to bring on location to be activated/developed by the UV light of the sun. The solutions can be played around and experimented with to create horizon lines for example. Objects can be placed on top of or submerged on the paper. The shapes are very organic feeling and flowing.

At times, the shapes look like a cut of some type of stone maybe marble or Lapis Lazuli. Each 19″X24″ piece is unique with different arrangements of pattern, swaths, veins, marbleizations and splashes of indigo, blue, white and even a few spots of lavender. Although each small panel is unique unto itself there is a relationship between the panels, a flowing between each panel into the other of whites, blues, lt. blues and indigo. Some of the colors playfully bounce off of each other, like the behavior of water. The colors in the entire piece are very saturated.

There are hard line marks defining the outline of the panels themselves as well as the curvy shapes at the top where they are separated by dark grey. The textures are hard and soft at the same time. There are stone like vein marks and flowing, splashing and spattering marks which are very water like. There is a sharp contrast between the “water/blues” and the flat “sky/grey” which gives the “water” more significance and also makes the colors pop out more.

Analysis:

When I first saw this piece, I immediately thought this is churning ocean waves possibly during a storm because of the grey forbidding sky. What pops outs to is the immense size of the piece and the amazing saturated blue colors. I feel enveloped in them yet and if I was to stand in front of it, I would probably feel dwarfed by the size of the piece. The piece is very well proportioned and balanced in. The two waves of either side form columns for the smaller waves in the center (top) creating a gateway. The wave on the right side curves into the right to draw your eye back into the center the same way that the wave on the left curves to the left to bring you to the center. There is movement that mimics the rhythm and movement of the ocean. This movement flows throughout each panel and into the next which establishes a unity of the entire 8′x14′ piece.

Interpretation:

I think the artist’s emphasis is to give the viewer a sense of awe of the power of nature. On one hand we have great respect (and sometimes disrespect) for nature, the element of water is a necessity, if we did not have it, all living things on the planet would die, yet water is such a powerful entity that it can kill us as we have seen recently in Houston. Nature can be terrifying at the same time as being beautiful and life giving. It is a part of us. Our bodies are made up of 72% water.

After reading several interviews with the artist: She actually came up with the idea of submerging the “coated” sheets of paper in the ocean from a mistake she had made while trying to photograph the bioluminescence of jellyfish at night. She was not able to photograph the jellyfish because she had chosen the wrong lunar cycle, but she found that the results of what ended up being photographed were visually exciting and resembled the landscape itself. She has said that the mistake she made is the recurrent theme in her work.

Her Title, “Littoral Drift” is a geologic term that means “the action of wind-driven waves moving sand and sediment along a shoreline”. Here is a quote by Meghann: “Littoral Drift evokes time and processes that are beyond our lifetime. I think it speaks to forces that are larger and more powerful. I like the play on words. Littoral sounds like literal, and these pieces are literally drifting in form as things change in them over time”.

Judgement:

Meghann Riepenhoff’s “Littoral Drift” is effective in what she tries to convey because each person will “experience” the painting rather than just view it. It becomes an experience even viewing it as a little photo on my computer. We know it is a large piece with the info provided. The blue and white colors and textures are water like. The movement and shapes are ocean like. The way each piece was placed in the composition as a whole looks like the ocean. That image will resonate in our brain as a stormy sea. What is so amazing is that those very images were actually formed by the ocean waves and exposed continually on the emulsion coated paper over time by the sun while Meghann holds the paper in the ocean. It is almost like there is a collaboration between two artists, the ocean and Meghann! The images can be ever changing depending if she wants to re-expose a particular print. An interesting idea to think about is how the prints can be ever changing as the landscape is ever changing.

This piece is high quality with high quality materials as well as high quality intellect. It has influenced me on my approach to work. The idea that a mistake can turn into a beautiful turning point in creating makes me want to create more!

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