Strangulation (2012) by Maureen Robertson is a 4 metre by 1.5 metre, matt painting on a wall. The purpose of the work is to transmit to the viewer a message of how pollution is choking our world. Pollution is a global epidemic and has ill effects not only on the environment but also on our bodies. Cities have the highest instances of pollution and through the cities of the world, people are  constantly being exposed to toxins. There are many types of pollution that we are exposed to on a daily basis; water pollution, land pollution and air pollution (Spengler, D., & Sexton, K., 1983). This piece of abstract art was created to portray the struggle of our world against pollution.

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Abstract Art, one of the movements in the Modern Art era, began in the avant-garde movements of the late 19th century (Sheppard, A., 1987). It is characterised by the ability to combine colours, shapes and textures with regard to form, line and colour to create a composition which is a creative response and does not have to be a realistic interpretation. I have been inspired by three artists who have used the elements of colour and shape to influence the mood, meaning and aesthetic sensation of their art works. Charlie Sullivan used pastel colour to portray different elements in her award winning artwork on environmental issues, Melting Ice-A-Hot Topic (2007). Robert Smithson used mud, salt crystals, basalt rocks and water in his earthwork sculpture, Spiral Jetty (1970). The sculpture forms a  460 metre long by 4.6 metre wide counter clockwise coil which elicits thoughts of entrapment (Smithson, R., 1979).  Four Spirals (1967) by Johannes Itten uses acrylics on canvas and shows that the illusion of depth, space and motion can be created abstractly, through the use of colour and form, in the absence of representational imagery (Itten, J., 1964).

 

I wanted my art to be unexpected and spontaneous. I wanted to create an asymmetrical abstract art piece where both sides of the central axis are not identical, yet appear to leave the same visual weight (Sheppard, A., 1987). The use of asymmetry in design allows for more freedom of creativity.

The monochromatic colour scheme in the artwork uses variations in lightness and saturation of a single colour within the colour wheel. Natural paints made with naturally occurring ingredients which do not require high levels of processing were used in keeping with an environmental stand. Each colour represented an element. The viewer is invited to interact with the artwork and find their own meaning. There are no right or wrong answers.

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A balanced variety of shapes and colours was created so that the different shapes and placement of colours will cause the viewer's eyes to 'bounce' around the wall. In this way, a sense of movement and energy was created. As the artwork was being created, it was important to try to visualize the colours of the final artwork and to make good use of space and light. A dark outline around the fawn colour was used to emphasise the curved lines, helping to create a sense of flow within the work.

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Being an abstract painting that is created in an intuitive manner, there was no obvious finishing point. Colour was continually added until the painting felt complete and balanced. I wanted to provoke a reaction from viewers of my artwork, inviting an emotional response which causes them to engage and debate not only the art, but also the inward significance .

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References

(2012), Eco-friendly Painting, national sustainable painting program information. Retrieved from http://www.infolink.com.au/c/GreenPainters/Greenpainters-Nominated-for-Best-Practice-Sustainability-Awards-n909185

Itten, J (1964). Design and form: the basic course at the Bauhaus. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold



Sheppard, A (1987). Aesthetics: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Art. Oxford & New York: Oxford University Press



Smithsom, R (1979). Holt, Nancy. ed. The Writings of Robert Smithson: Essays with Illustrations. New York, New York: New York University Press.

Spengler, D., & Sexton, K.(2008) "Pollution: A Public Health Perspective", Science (New Series) 221 (4605 ): pp. 9–17



Sullivan, C. (2007). UNEP Bayer Partnership[ Photograph].Retrieved from

http://www.unep.bayer.com/en/international-children_s-painting-competition-16.aspx