COVE

Display Explanation 

The three paintings that I have decided to use for my gallery are Marian Slugocki"s 1908 Awakening Spring, Frederic Leighton’s 1895 Flaming June and Francois Bonnardel's 1920 Le Coussin Rouge. All three of these paintings hold elements of bright vibrant colors and beautiful hues that draw the attention of the eye. Because of this, I want to highlight the color palate, particularly the reds and the oranges that are common across all the paintings. For this, I am going to be heavily relying on the color wheel. Blue is the complimentary color to orange, as they are on the opposite sides of the color wheel. Additionally, green is on the opposite side of the color wheel of orange. All these colors are components of colors found in nature. For this reason, they all complement each other very nicely. I would like to have an open concept for the room. I would like to have a single room with varying hues of green and blue across the walls. There is a common theme of flowers in all these paintings, so it is only natural for there to be floral patterns of green and blue across the walls. The ceiling will be high and arching, which will give the illusion that the room is a lot larger than it is. I want there to be lighting cascading down from the top, almost as if sunlight is touching down on to the paintings. The room shape will be a triangle. If the room is in a triangle, then there will be no corner edges, so every little thing in the room will be able to be seen. I want every single one of the paintings to be raised on easels. They will be placed at every single point of the triangle for viewing. The main key components of his room will be the contrasting of the colors. Green and blues are typically associated as more masculine. Red and oranges are colors that are closer in hues to pinks and yellows, which are historically associated with femineity and delicateness. On top of that, red is a color that is associated with passion, love and power. The concept of having a triangle shaped room, which is the strongest shape in nature, with each painting at each tip not only represents these women in a position of power but also takes elements from nature to be incorporated into them. The contrast of the oranges and reds to the greens and blues is not only going to be striking, but it will also be startling to the eye, which is exactly the effect I want to have. Nudity in paintings, especially during the time they were painted in the nineteenth century, was very alarming to many people. However, it was this effect that draws attention to the paintings, so the contrasting colors combined with the eye-catching nature of the nudity of the women in the paintings will mesh to invoke big feelings in spectators. Those feelings can range from surprise to admiration to disgust and disbelief. It does not matter to me, so long as those feelings are big and sudden.  

Installation Note: 

The three paintings that will be showcased for the gallery in my little museum are going to be Marian Slugocki"s 1908 Awakening Spring, Frederic Leighton’s 1895 Flaming June and Francois Bonnardel's 1920 Le Coussin Rouge. In my display explanation, I made several references to the colors showcased in each painting, and these hold extreme significance. In Awakening Spring, a beautiful young girl stands naked in a meadow of brightly colored flowers. Her face is hidden in her hands and her hip is slightly jutting out as she turns her face away from the flowers, almost as if the vibrancy is too much for her eyes. While her body is shown in full nudity, it is not severely objectified as other paintings might be. Her vagina and breast are modestly covered by the angle of her hip and the raise of her hands. On top of that, the vibrance of the flowers behind her, along with the title of Awakening Spring invokes feelings of peacefulness within the painting. Red and yellow together are hues that hold very intense emotions, ranging from pure happiness to uncontrolled rage. These feelings are big and sudden and entirely intense. Moving on to Flaming June, the model in this painting is the pinocle of beauty. The model is wearing a see-through orange dress that seems to elegantly accentuate her curves. She is laying in a very natural position, one that many females find comfortable, though many males might not. Her breast is ever so slightly poking through her dress, but not so much where they are the focus of the entire painting. This painting is focused entirely on the color orange. Orange signifies youth, warmth and happiness. On top of that, the word “flaming: is used in the title of the painting. Assuming that June is the name of the young girl in the picture, June is surrounded entirely by orange. She is not posing for the objectification of the male gaze. She is lying in a position comfortable to her and, recognizing this, I hope that the spectators will respect her entirely as she is; unapologetically warmly herself. Lastly, in Le Coussin Rogue, the model in this painting has short hair, red painted lips and is naked from the waist up. Her bottom is covered by a mesh looking skirt that starts as orange from the waist and gradually fades into red at the end. She is leaning against the arm of a couch, and her posture is relaxed. For a large part of history, long hair has been associated with beauty. Women with short hair were desired less often for the fact that their short hair made them look like boys. This woman is confident and radiated self-love. The colors of her skirt melding from orange to red is also symbolic of how happiness and warmth can give way to passionate fiery rage. Evoking a woman's rage is one of the most dangerous things a person can do, and I hope that the spectators feel the pride and strength radiating from this woman. All in all, these paintings all have common themes of colors. Having these colors of oranges and reds among the room of green and blues is symbolic for women representation in the world of a man. Thier presence is commanding, and it is necessary. Even though they are surrounded by the hues of the brutality of men's treatment and disrespect, these paintings stand as firm pillars of bright splashes of color that completely contrast what they are surrounded with.