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sadie benning
Krista Schmitt
Art Ed. 367.02
4/18/07
Critique #1: Sadie Benning’s “We Got the Beat” (2001) versus “untitled” (2001)
Sadie Benning‘s art, in content and visual presentation, emphasizes multiple layers of meaning. Benning‘s work stresses the tensions of content and aesthetics, which makes her work so fascinating. Along with similarities, multiple differences appear in the midst of each detail, allowing for differences in interpretation. Two of Benning’s works such as the autobiographical self portrait, “We Got The Beat” (2001), and “untitled” (2001), portray this notion quite well. The commonalities and differences in these works evoke questions about her style, use of color, subject matter, and intended meaning. Benning’s “untitled” (2001) portrays an ethnic-looking painting that could easily be taken from a page of world history, complete with exaggerated facial features and bright arrangements. The warm colors of the figure contrast boldly against the white background while the large, almond shaped, brown eyes look as though they are staring at you. A sense of discomfort can emerge while observing the subject‘s pursed lips and narrowing eyes, centering in on each observer. There are some cooler colors present in the painting, as well. The hair and eyebrows consist of a mixing of elephant gray, purple, and dark red. These colors could have been mixed to form a deep solid maroon color, but Benning uses each different shade to create a textured and disarrayed look for the subject’s hair, portraying it almost.Thisis surprising, considering most of the paintings consist of one color and no mixing. Three teardrops fall down the left side of the subject’s cheek, which express a longing or sadness in the subjects appearance. It was unclear if the painting is of a woman or a man, as well. However, the large, feminine, red lips and the warm, rusty color of the eyelids seem to convey the image of a woman more than that of a man..
In order to do these bold, close-up portraits, such as “untitled,” Benning uses someone’s old yearbook to mirror photos of certain people through her paintings. It is as if she is artistically expressing her first impressions of people she does not know. It is possible that when she came across the photo inspired by “untitled,” she may have felt a connection towards that person at first glance. The tears signified unhappiness with oneself, or a feeling of discomfort with being an individual. With Benning’s background, she may have felt as an outsider, or unable to express herself when she was younger. The subject of this painting may have looked like a mirror image of Benning, herself when she came across it. There is no sign of a specific gender or race of the person, which may convey a longing of lost identity, or a “who am I?” attitude. There is no favorable place in society, everyone has a different set of problems, and it is not easy to have someone zoom in on your face, and take your picture when you are at an uncomfortable time in your life.
When looking at “We Got The Beat” (2001), one may walk right past it at first, without taking a second glance. It is placed in the back room of the gallery where there is not much light, and the colors of the painting are not as prevalent as the others. There was a distraction caused by the sound of her short film in the background. When looking closer, many differences appear between that work and the others. First, there is no black outlining of the painting, which is popular among her other works. The boldness of the black makes her other paintings stand out, which is most likely why I did not notice this particular painting at first. The image shows a person (who looks either male or female) playing the drums. The person does not look happy or sad, they look content, with a half smile reaching up to his/her left cheek. The vision also sets further away in perspective than her other paintings, which gives a fuller look of the surroundings and what this person may be like, rather than just trying to read facial expressions. While her short film, “Play Pause” is playing, it collaborates very well with the painting. One may get a sense of being in the environment where the setting of the painting is, as if they are a part of the audience. Benning uses a soft turquoise color (the same shade as the eyes) to outline the body of the subject, rather than a dark color. The music that was playing was rather quiet and calm, and the person is not forcefully playing the drums, which is a possibility to why she does not choose to use bold colors.
It is said that “We Got the Beat” is a self portrait done by Benning. This changed the entire perspective I initially had of the painting, relying only on description. Is Benning painting herself as others may view her, or as how she views herself? It seems that she was painting it based on where she was in her life at the time she created it. “We Got the Beat” is one of the few paintings in her exhibit that shows a person doing something. In this work, she is doing what she loves: making music. The look on her face shows contentment and a sense of comfort, which contrasts with “untitled”, showing discomfort. This may mean that she was at a time in her life where she was content with being herself. The freehanded and child-like nature of her painting technique also reflects that no one is perfect, and that she may be flawed as well. The painting also seems unfinished, just like her experiences in life, itself; as it is unfinished as well.
Sadie Benning conveys many of the same issues such as mixed gender and mixed race in her exhibit, as well as her original, child-like natured brush strokes. However, throughout all of the similarities at a first-glance appearance, there are differences as well. She expresses that even through similar appearances, identity lies within; no matter where a person is in their life.
Art Ed. 367.02
4/18/07
Critique #1: Sadie Benning’s “We Got the Beat” (2001) versus “untitled” (2001)
Sadie Benning‘s art, in content and visual presentation, emphasizes multiple layers of meaning. Benning‘s work stresses the tensions of content and aesthetics, which makes her work so fascinating. Along with similarities, multiple differences appear in the midst of each detail, allowing for differences in interpretation. Two of Benning’s works such as the autobiographical self portrait, “We Got The Beat” (2001), and “untitled” (2001), portray this notion quite well. The commonalities and differences in these works evoke questions about her style, use of color, subject matter, and intended meaning. Benning’s “untitled” (2001) portrays an ethnic-looking painting that could easily be taken from a page of world history, complete with exaggerated facial features and bright arrangements. The warm colors of the figure contrast boldly against the white background while the large, almond shaped, brown eyes look as though they are staring at you. A sense of discomfort can emerge while observing the subject‘s pursed lips and narrowing eyes, centering in on each observer. There are some cooler colors present in the painting, as well. The hair and eyebrows consist of a mixing of elephant gray, purple, and dark red. These colors could have been mixed to form a deep solid maroon color, but Benning uses each different shade to create a textured and disarrayed look for the subject’s hair, portraying it almost.Thisis surprising, considering most of the paintings consist of one color and no mixing. Three teardrops fall down the left side of the subject’s cheek, which express a longing or sadness in the subjects appearance. It was unclear if the painting is of a woman or a man, as well. However, the large, feminine, red lips and the warm, rusty color of the eyelids seem to convey the image of a woman more than that of a man..
In order to do these bold, close-up portraits, such as “untitled,” Benning uses someone’s old yearbook to mirror photos of certain people through her paintings. It is as if she is artistically expressing her first impressions of people she does not know. It is possible that when she came across the photo inspired by “untitled,” she may have felt a connection towards that person at first glance. The tears signified unhappiness with oneself, or a feeling of discomfort with being an individual. With Benning’s background, she may have felt as an outsider, or unable to express herself when she was younger. The subject of this painting may have looked like a mirror image of Benning, herself when she came across it. There is no sign of a specific gender or race of the person, which may convey a longing of lost identity, or a “who am I?” attitude. There is no favorable place in society, everyone has a different set of problems, and it is not easy to have someone zoom in on your face, and take your picture when you are at an uncomfortable time in your life.
When looking at “We Got The Beat” (2001), one may walk right past it at first, without taking a second glance. It is placed in the back room of the gallery where there is not much light, and the colors of the painting are not as prevalent as the others. There was a distraction caused by the sound of her short film in the background. When looking closer, many differences appear between that work and the others. First, there is no black outlining of the painting, which is popular among her other works. The boldness of the black makes her other paintings stand out, which is most likely why I did not notice this particular painting at first. The image shows a person (who looks either male or female) playing the drums. The person does not look happy or sad, they look content, with a half smile reaching up to his/her left cheek. The vision also sets further away in perspective than her other paintings, which gives a fuller look of the surroundings and what this person may be like, rather than just trying to read facial expressions. While her short film, “Play Pause” is playing, it collaborates very well with the painting. One may get a sense of being in the environment where the setting of the painting is, as if they are a part of the audience. Benning uses a soft turquoise color (the same shade as the eyes) to outline the body of the subject, rather than a dark color. The music that was playing was rather quiet and calm, and the person is not forcefully playing the drums, which is a possibility to why she does not choose to use bold colors.
It is said that “We Got the Beat” is a self portrait done by Benning. This changed the entire perspective I initially had of the painting, relying only on description. Is Benning painting herself as others may view her, or as how she views herself? It seems that she was painting it based on where she was in her life at the time she created it. “We Got the Beat” is one of the few paintings in her exhibit that shows a person doing something. In this work, she is doing what she loves: making music. The look on her face shows contentment and a sense of comfort, which contrasts with “untitled”, showing discomfort. This may mean that she was at a time in her life where she was content with being herself. The freehanded and child-like nature of her painting technique also reflects that no one is perfect, and that she may be flawed as well. The painting also seems unfinished, just like her experiences in life, itself; as it is unfinished as well.
Sadie Benning conveys many of the same issues such as mixed gender and mixed race in her exhibit, as well as her original, child-like natured brush strokes. However, throughout all of the similarities at a first-glance appearance, there are differences as well. She expresses that even through similar appearances, identity lies within; no matter where a person is in their life.
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