A study in contrast in movement symbolized by the "stop" and "go" extremes of a traffic signal as realized in an oil painting

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A STUDY OF CONTRAST IN MOVEMENT SYMBOLIZED BY THE "STOP" AND "GO" EXTREMES OF A TRAFFIC SIGNAL AS REALIZED IN AN OIL PAINTING

A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the Institute of the Arts University of Southern California

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Fine Arts

by James Edward Grant August 1950

UMI Number: EP57889

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MASTER OF FINE ARTS "7/ Date

August 1950

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TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I.

PAGE THE PROBLEM AND STATEMENT OF ORGANIZATION

. .

The p r o b l e m ...............

1

Choice of the s u b j e c t ...................

1

Statement of the problem .................

1

Validity of the

s u b j e c t ................

1

Validity of the

p r o b l e m ................

1

Statement of organization II.

1

.................

2

VISUAL MOVEMENT AND METHODS OF ACHIEVING AND CONTROLLING I T .........................

4

Kinds of visual m o v e m e n t ...................

4

Implied movement .........................

4

Graphic movement .........................

4

Methods of achieving graphic movement

...

5

Movement caused

by the addition of units .

5

Dynamic quality

of the diagonal

5

........

Methods of controlling graphic movement

. .

6

Linear continuance .......................

6

Control through an abstract framework

6

..

Control through restrictions on elements ................................ III.

HISTORICAL USE OF GRAPHIC MOVEMENT .......... "Battle Scene,M Pahari drawing, Kangri

6 8

CHAPTER

PAGE school, eighteenth century .............

8

"Wedding Dance," Pieter Brueghel, circa 1560

8

"Street Crossing, New York," John Marin, 1928

....................................

9

"Broadway Boogie-Woogie," Piet Mondrian, 1 9 4 3 ....................................

10

"Guernica," Pablo Picasso, 1937 IV.

PRELIMINARY WORKING PROCEDURE

...............

12

...................

12

Early d r a w i n g s ............................

12

Compositional clarification

13

Earliest compositions

V.

10

.............

Color c o m p o s i t i o n .......................

14

Pinal c o m p o s i t i o n .......................

14

Drawings from the m o d e l .................

15

WORKING PROCEDURE AND MATERIALS FOR THE FINAL P A I N T I N G ..............................

l6

Working procedure

.........................

16

Ground for c a n v a s .......................

16

Transfer of d r a w i n g .....................

16

Changes made in the process of painting

.

16

Further reference to the model ...........

17

M a t e r i a l s ..................................

18

Canvas and m e d i u m .......................

18

iv CHAPTER

VI.

PAGE P a i n t s ....................................

18

Painting applicators .....................

18

C O N C L U S I O N S ..........

19

Solution of the p r o b l e m .................

19

Criticism of the p a i n t i n g ...............

19

B I B L I O G R A P H Y ........................................

20

A P P E N D I X .............................................

21

LIST OF PLATES PLATE I.

PAGE "Battle Scene," Pahari Drawing, Kangri School, Eighteenth Century (Seattle Art Museum) . .

II.

"Wedding Dance," Pieter Brueghel, circa 1 5 6 0 (institute of Arts, Detroit)

III.

.............

...............

24

"Guernica," Pablo Picasso, 1937 (Collection of the a r t i s t ) ............................

VI.

23

"Broadway Boogie-Woogie," Piet Mondrian, 1943 (Museum of Modern Art, New Y o r k ) ........

V.

22

"Street Crossing, New York," John Marin, 1928 (Phillips Memorial Gallery)

IV.

21

25

Preliminary Drawing of Figures ...............

26

Preliminary Drawing of Groups

...............

27

VIII# Preliminary Drawing of Buildings .............

28

VII.

IX.

Preliminary Composition

......................

29

X.

Preliminary Composition

......................

30

Preliminary Composition Selected .............

31

XI. XII.

............................

32

XIII.

Figure S t u d y ...................................

33

XIV.

Figure S t u d y ...................................

34

XV.

Figure S t u d y ...................................

35

Final P a i n t i n g ................................

36

XVI.

Final Composition

CHAPTER I THE PROBLEM AND STATEMENT OF ORGANIZATION I.

THE PROBLEM

Choice of the subject.

The author chose as the sub­

ject for his painting a traffic signal and the surrounding city scene. Statement of the problem.

The choice of any subject

imposes on a painter problems resulting from the examina­ tion of qualities peculiar to that subject.

The author

felt the most obvious characteristic of a traffic signal was its control of movement in the street and the resulting problem for this painting was the examination of graphic movement in the canvas with particular emphasis upon a con­ trast of active and inactive areas that reflected the "stop" and "go" extremes of the signal. Validity of the subject.

It would be difficult to

find an object that more clearly symbolizes twentieth century urban life than the traffic signal.

It is a direct

product of the confused activity within our cities and choosing it as a subject allowed comment on a phase of life with which the author had first hand experience. Validity of the problem.

It is the job of the

2 painter to examine as thoroughly as possible the various elements involved in painting and the validity of this problem lay in its investigation of graphic movement. Graphic movement is an activity inherent in the abstract structure of a painting, and general ideas relating to movement such as portrayal of a quiet, peaceful subject or a violent, active one can be transmitted by that structure alone.

II.

STATEMENT OF ORGANIZATION

Chapter II contains an analysis of the two kinds of visual movement as well as a section on achieving and con­ trolling graphic movement.

Included In Chapter III is an

examination of various uses of graphic movement in the his­ tory of painting that are related to the problem.

Work

examined includes: "Battle Scene," an eighteenth century Pahari drawing from India; Pieter Brueghel’s "Wedding Dance"; John Marin's "Street Crossing, New York"; "Broadway Boogie-Woogie" by Piet Mondrian; and Pablo Picasso's "Guernica."

The studies made and the working

procedure followed prior to the final painting are dis­ cussed in Chapter IV.

An examination of the working pro­

cedure followed in the final painting is contained in Chapter V as well as a discussion of the changes made in

3 it.

Also included is a section on the materials used.

The

conclusions arrived at during the course of the study are examined in the final chapter.

CHAPTER II VISUAL MOVEMENT AND METHODS OF ACHIEVING AND CONTROLLING IT I.

KINDS OF VISUAL MOVEMENT

There are two kinds of visual movement involved in painting, implied and graphic. Implied movement.

Implied movement in painting

depends upon the observer's identification of an object and his reaction to the suggested motion in that object. For example, an arm shown in the act of swinging will be seen as a moving unit because previous experience tells one the gesture is uncompleted.

The use of multiple views which

show simultaneously the progressive steps in a particular motion is a variation of this same phenomenon.

With mul­

tiple views the implied movement is not left to the ima­ gination of the observer but is actually shown; however, this type of movement still depends upon object identifi­ cation. Graphic movement.

Graphic movement does not depend

upon any object recognition but is inherent in the abstract design of the canvas.

It is the sensation of movement pro­

duced in the observer of a painting as the eye shifts from

5 element and element.

This sensation may be quiet or active

depending upon the number and arrangement of the pictorial units.

The author was most concerned with this aspect of

visual movement.

II.

METHODS OP ACHIEVING GRAPHIC MOVEMENT

Movement caused by the addition of units.

As a

graphic movement is caused by the shifting of the eye from one element to another, any mark on the surface of a canvas will automatically produce movement as the eye explores the relations existing between that mark and the outer bounda­ ries.

Obviously the movement caused by a single mark on

the surface will be limited.

Increased activity can be

achieved by simply adding to the number of elements which are compelling by virtue of dark and light, color, or texture contrast. Dynamic quality of the diagonal.

The diagonal is a

more active element than either the horizontal or the ver­ tical as these tend to reflect the stability of the outer edges of the canvas; consequently, use of diagonals in painting will produce more movement than either of these two.

6 III.

METHODS OF CONTROLLING GRAPHIC MOVEMENT

The movement achieved merely by painting numerous elements on a canvas will not of necessity be visually controlled or organized, but there are numerous phenomena which may be employed by the painter toward this end. Linear continuance.

The tendency of a line to

continue visually in its same direction after it has been ended is known as linear continuance.

This quality is also

apparent in progressions of hue, value, and intensity and is a useful factor in the control of visual movement.'1' Control through an abstract framework.

A great deal

of graphic activity can be controlled through the use of an abstract static framework.

This framework may provide con­

trast and stability for the more active elements in a can­ vas and may be developed through the use of linear con­ tinuance. Control through restrictions on elements.

A re­

striction of the kind of graphic elements involved in a painting permits increased control of any graphic activity. For example,

the elimination of color and subsequent use of

■** Gyorgv Kepes, Language of Vision (Chicago: Paul Theobald, 1944), p. 4 9 .

only black, white, and greys will be a unifying factor in a canvas.

The use of horizontals and verticals only,

stable units in themselves, likewise a restrictive process, simplifies problems of pictorial control.

CHAPTER III HISTORICAL USE OF GRAPHIC MOVEMENT Following will be found a discussion of fine paint­ ings in which graphic movement supports or reveals the subject.

The diversity of styles found in these examples

will emphasize the freedom of graphic movement from any dependence upon representational factors. “Battle Scene,11 Pahari drawing, Kangri school, eighteenth century (See Appendix, Plate I).

This drawing

shows two opposing armies, mounted on horses and elephants, meeting in battle.

The activity of the scene is inter­

related pictorially by means of an extremely vigorous line quality.

Here is a use of linear continuance where the eye

is led from the body of a horse to a rider, along a sword, back down another horse, and so on throughout the entire drawing.

In this work the activity was stabilized by con­

fining it to the lower two thirds of the paper. “Wedding Dance," Pieter Brueghel, circa I 5 6 Q (See Appendix, Plate II).

In this painting the peasants are

seen in an open area dancing and celebrating.

The figures

are modeled with no direct light and in relatively flat colors.

The use of diagonal lines and red shapes of high

intensity as well as strong contrasts of dark and light in

9 small areas keep the eye in a constant state of agitation suggesting the activity of the dance.

Here again linear

continuance has been used to unify the canvas.

The abun­

dance of graphic movement has been countered by the stable vertical shapes of the trees and the horizontal band of light in the upper portion of the painting.

Further

solidity is provided by the framework of a triangle formed by the edge of the picture plane at the base, a line up the leg of the musician on the right to the white square, and down from that square along the leg of the male dancer in the lower left corner. "Street Crossing, New York," John Marin, 1928 (See Appendix, Plate III). in a large city.

This painting shows a street scene

Marin’s feelings about the vitality of

the city were stated in the catalogue for a show of his New York paintings.

Though these remarks were written in

1912 about an earlier group of paintings,

they seem still

to express verbally the ideas in this later work.

In the

catalogue he wrote: Shall we consider the life of a great city as con­ fined simply to the people and the animals on its streets and in its buildings? Are the buildings them­ selves dead? We must have been told somewhere that a work of art is a thing alive. . . . Therefore if these buildings move me they too must have life. Thus the whole city is alive. And so I try to express graphically what a great city is doing. Within the frames there must be a

10 balance, a controlling of these warring, pushing, pulling forces. This is what I am trying to realize. . . .2 In this painting Marin graphically states his feelings for those warring, pushing, pulling forces.

The diagonals,

zigzags, and broken lines punctuated with strong contrasts of dark and light create a picture with tremendous vitali­ ty.

Using a framework of three roughly equal vertical

areas and two equal horizontal areas, he has managed to control all of this activity. nBroadway Boogie-Woogie." Piet Mondrian, 1943* (See Appendix, Plate IV).

Apparently motivated by the rhythm

of boogie-woogie tunes popular in the early 1940fs, Mondrian painted this abstract picture of their rhythm.

He has

created an extremely dynamic painting in spite of selfimposed restrictions to the use of horizontal and vertical elements.

This has been accomplished by placing a large

number of small dark shapes against a light background. The resulting activity has been controlled by using linear continuance along with the restrictive horizontals and verticals. "Guernica,11 Pablo Picasso, 1937 (See Appendix, Plate V).

Through this painting Picasso expressed his

^ MacKinley Helm, John Marin (Boston: Institute of Contemporary Art, 1948), pp. 28-29.

11 protest at the destruction of the town of Guernica in par­ ticular and his horror of war in general.

The violence of

modern warfare has "been expressed through strong diagonals, and sharp black-and-white and texture contrast.

He has

organized his canvas with the help of linear continuance as well as sequences of value gradation. vertical lines and a triangle,

A series of

similar in shape and loca­

tion to that in Brueghel's "Wedding Dance," provide the framework over which the activity has been woven. use of black, white, tion of the canvas.

The

and greys only, helps in the unifica­

CHAPTER IV PRELIMINARY WORKING PROCEDURE Earliest compositions.

After the choice of the prob­

lem and before the actual picture was started, some pre­ liminary work was necessary.

The earliest form of the

painting was a canvas of the traffic signal alone.

For

this problem, however, it was decided to expand the scope of that work to include people and buildings surrounding the signal.

The first compositional studies of the expand­

ed subject were designed with the idea of contrasting the left and right sides of the composition as active and inactive areas.

It was felt that through this contrast

the concept of the "stop” and ’’go” of the signal could be expressed. Early drawings (See Appendix, Plates VI and VII). During the same period the author was making his preliminary studies, he was also executing drawings of city persons and buildings.

It was felt that the shapes, textures,

and colors would have more variety if they were based on firsthand observations.

Most of the drawings done at this

time were brief notes, since their main purpose was to give direction to the compositional studies.

Single figures

and groups were drawn both at rest and moving.

Some of

13 these drawings were made with the eye level at a normal ground height and others were made from a first floor window level.

Drawings of buildings were also made from

different eye levels (See Appendix,

Plate VIII).

Compositional clarification. work,

During the preliminary

the most important change in the composition was made.

It was noted by the Faculty Committee Chairman that the original conception of one active and one inactive area would be apt to separate the picture into two distinct paintings.

At his suggestion the composition was changed

to one having four quadrants,

two active and two inactive,

for better integration of the contrasting areas (see Appendix,

Plates IX-XI).

As it evolved the largest section

of the composition was the lower right quadrant, which became an active element showing people crossing with the signal.

Contrasting with this was the lower left area that

showed people waiting for the signal.

The upper two sec­

tions were reversed with the left, an active area depicting buildings and the right also showing buildings but with less activity.

Dividing the canvas vertically and dominat­

ing the entire scene was the traffic signal.

Emanating

from the signal was a framework of lines or rays that were intended to point up this focal area.

This arrangement of

the composition necessitated the use of a high eye level;

one about even with the signal was chosen.

A light source,

fairly high and to the left of the spectator,

was selected

to cast a shadow over the lower left inactive area and to cause strong dark and light contrast in the lower active section.

The proportion of three units to five units was

finally chosen for the painting.

The compositional studies

up to this time had been worked out only in black and white with the quiet sections darker and containing less light and dark contrast than the two more agitated areas. Color composition. white design worked out, color.

With a satisfactory black-and-

the composition was attempted in

In the earliest trials the red and green of the

traffic light were painted in rather intense color and stood out against the rest of the painting executed in greys.

This was modified,

somewhat,

so that the final

color composition retained the colors of the signal as the most intense areas but increased the intensity of the rest of the design as well.

The red and green contrast of the

signal was further emphasized by making the less active areas predominantly green and the more active sections red. Final composition (See Appendix, the color problem had been solved,

Plate XII).

a final drawing was

started the same size as the intended canvas, inches by sixty inches.

When

thirty-six

At this size areas that were

15 unresolved in the smaller studies could be worked out more carefully. Drawings from the model (See Appendix, Plates XIIIXV).

While making the final drawing,

from models.

studies were executed

These were used to clarify the drawing of

the people in the composition.

Men and women were posed in

the position of figures in the design and carefully studied. Here again firsthand observation made the shapes in the final drawing more relevant than they would have been other­ wise.

Studies of buildings were made with a similar intent.

CHAPTER V WORKING PROCEDURE AND MATERIALS FOR THE FINAL PAINTING I.

WORKING PROCEDURE

Ground for canvas.

Before transferring the drawing

to the canvas it was covered with a medium dark grey green. It was thought that this grey would he a synthesis of all the final colors; consequently it would provide a middle tone on which warm and cool or dark and light could be added.

It was also desired with this ground to fill in

some of the canvas.

The ground was applied with a palette

knife and its characteristic texture was left lightly showing. Transfer of drawing.

The full size drawing that had

been finally made was divided by a network of straight lines, three vertical and three horizontal, teen equal areas.

that made six­

Similar lines were put on the canvas so

that the drawing could be accurately transferred.

The

transfer drawing was first made in charcoal and later strengthened with a turpentine wash. Changes made in the process of painting.

Changes

or revisions are necessary in painting any picture, no

17 matter how carefully the preliminary work has been done. Many of these happen so gradually and so involuntarily the painter is unaware of them himself.

In the case of this

work no major changes were made once the final painting had been started.

In some instances entire figures were taken

out and others substituted, but these at no time deviated radically from the intent of the preliminary work.

The

greatest difficulty encountered was in attempting to integrate the lower right-hand area with the rest of the canvas.

Changes were suggested by the Faculty Committee

Chairman, but in no case were these major alterations.

One

of the suggested changes was a thought that the activity in the signal itself was not great enough to go with the activity in the lower area.

Another was the feeling that

more warm color should be added to the lower inactive area to integrate it more closely with the rest of the canvas. It was also suggested that the paint quality of the build­ ings could be made more interesting.

All of these changes

were effected. Further reference to the m o d e l .

During the process

of painting, reference was made both to the earlier draw­ ings and once again to models.

Here,

as before,

areas

conceived without reference to actuality seemed to lack vitality.

18 II. Canvas and medium.

MATERIALS The painting was executed on a

linen canvas commercially sized and painted white.

It was

over this surface that the grey ground composed of oil paint and painting medium was applied.

The medium con­

sisted of one third linseed oil, one third turpentine and one third matt varnish. painting.

This medium was used for the entire,

A dull finish had been desired which suggested

the choice of matt varnish rather than demar. Paints.

Two commercially prepared brands of oil

paint were used, Windsor Newton and Grumbacher.

The palette

consisted of zinc white, cadmium yellow, yellow ochre, cadmium red light, alizarin crimson, burnt umber, ivory black, ultramarine blue, cobalt blue, cerulean blue, veridian green, and permanent green light. Painting applicators.

Both bristle and sable brushes

were used, a small round sable for drawing and bristle for most of the other work.

In some areas paint was applied

with a palette knife, leaving a texture similar to that on the ground.

CHAPTER VI CONCLUSIONS Solution of the problem.

The author realized in

the process of his work that the solution to this problem would never be an absolute one.

The maximum degree of

contrast, whatever that maximum might be, would surely split the canvas into four distinct sections.

It would

seem that for a painting where the greatest degree of activity is desired,

an abstract framework that supports

but does not confine the activity would be most successful This was the plan shown in Picasso’s "Guernica," B rueghel’ Wedding Dance," and to some extent M a r i n ’s "Street Crossing, New York." Criticism of the painting (See Appendix,

Plate XVI)

Aside from a failure to solve the problem completely the painting suffers from an excessive use of black lines. Were this framework removed, a great deal weaker.

the design would probably be

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BIBLIOGRAPHY Helm, MacKinley, John Marin. Boston: Institute of Con­ temporary Art, 1948T 255 PP* Kepes, Gyorgy, Language of Vision. 1944. 228 pp.

Chicago: Paul Theobald

Mayer, Ralph, The Artist1s Handbook of Materials and Techniques. New York: The Viking Press, 1948. 561 pp

A P P E H D I X

PLATE I BATTLE SCENE Pahari Drawing

PLATE II WEDDING DANCE Pieter Brueghel

Li

P

I

PLATE III STREET CROSSING, NEW YORK John Marin

PLATE IV BROADWAY BOOGIE-WOOGIE Piet Mondrian

■to





■ ■

t











PLATE V GUERNICA Pablo Picasso

r

PLATE VI PRELIMINARY DRAWING OF FIGURES

PLATE VII PRELIMINARY DRAWING OF GROUPS

PLATE VIII PRELIMINARY DRAWING OF BUILDINGS

29

PLATE IX PRELIMINARY COMPOSITION

PLATE X PRELIMINARY COMPOSITION

PLATE XI PRELIMINARY COMPOSITION SELECTED

PLATE XII PINAL COMPOSITION

PLATE XIII FIGURE STUDY

PLATE XIV FIGURE STUDY

PLATE XV FIGURE STUDY

PLATE XVI FINAL PAINTING

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