August 8, 2011

A New Textile: "Light Red/Green Ground"

Light Red/Green Ground, hand dyed wool on linen, 11 x 10 inches.


This new piece is a part of my series of Figure/Ground works in which I attempt to create a composition in which no element takes precedence over another: no one shape should appear to the the positive, or figure, as opposed to the negative, or ground. You can see some of the previous textiles in this series in this blog post. When I was working on the sketch, I felt that the two semi-circular shapes might demand too much attention, so I tried to balance the equation by mixing a cooler, grayer red by adding some of the green to it, and a warmer green by adding a yellow. I'm not at all sure that the green shape holds its own in this equation...what do you think?




In this detail you can see that I hook an edge around each shape, so that they have visual equivalence. If I had edged only the red shape, it would have appeared more solid and the green would have seemed to slip behind it. Ultimately, it doesn't really matter if the challenge I've set for myself is successful, as long as the piece has a satisfying presence.


Kitagawa Utamaro, The Engaging Type, from the series Ten Types in the Physiognomic Study of Women, c. 1792-93; color woodcut with mica ground; 15 x 10 inches.


I keep several art books in my work room––most of the others are in the studio––for inspiration and reference. I particularly love the subtle natural colors of Japanese woodcuts. When I was looking through the catalog Designed for Pleasure: The World of Edo Japan, I found this lovely print and decided that I would try to mix dyes to achieve its beautifully balanced red and green, colors I would not have discovered on my own, for which I am grateful.

9 comments:

  1. rappelAugust 8, 2011 at 8:00 PM

    the way it reads to me is that each holds its own but they don't exchange themselves for each other - and that exchange is what makes a figure/ ground relationship dynamic -- like in a love affair where you're never sure who has the power. both these parts stay where they are, as they are, at least in this photo on this screen (ah, the variables we MUST consider)...

    ReplyDelete
  2. LeslieAugust 8, 2011 at 8:19 PM

    Love the translation.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Judy EngleAugust 8, 2011 at 8:42 PM

    When I first looked at it, the green shape took precedence as if it were against the red background and then when I looked at it a second time, it still seemed that way. I have never studied color theory but I wonder if this could be a matter of individual perception.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Altoon SultanAugust 8, 2011 at 9:05 PM

    It's interesting that rappel and Judy see this as static, rappel with a solid balance and Judy with the green taking precedence. When I look at it I tend to see the red semi-circles as the primary shapes, with the green fighting to maintain its presence. hmmm...
    thanks, Leslie.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousAugust 9, 2011 at 7:36 AM

    1. rappel, maybe the affair is a stately and aristocratic one, the colors and shapes conscious of their dignity, not showing an 'exchange' in public
    2. judy, at first, the fact that the green cuts through the red made it the positive element for me too - and then i saw the opposite - are these differences of individual perception or is our own perception subject to change - wonder what it would look like if only the semicircles or the hyperbolic paraboloid (?) had the hooked edge
    3. in any case, the little details of texture and the variations in the gorgeous dyes are enough to energize the image - a restful and exciting piece -
    sg

    ReplyDelete
  6. Altoon SultanAugust 9, 2011 at 8:12 AM

    thanks sg, though I wonder how something can be both exciting and restful ;-) That might carry my figure/ground idea further than I thought possible.

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousAugust 10, 2011 at 8:00 AM

    you yourself put a slash in the title: doesnt that suggest a dynamic that is not quite the same as saying "red and green"? - maybe other words: the whole thing is quiet but also humming....
    sg

    ReplyDelete
  8. Susan RichardsAugust 17, 2011 at 1:01 PM

    So happy to see this and subscribe to your blog.. My mother in law made hooked rugs,and dyed her own wool so I relate..I think the red and green dynamic is like a good perceptual trick ..it can go either way and the edging adds to the conundrum... the edging makes the piece work.... Also, I will be near the Shelburne in Sept and glad to have this preview.. thanks

    ReplyDelete
  9. Altoon SultanAugust 17, 2011 at 3:02 PM

    Thanks, Susan, I'm glad that the visual flip-flop works for you. I hope you get to visit the Shelburne museum in September.

    ReplyDelete