I visited the Studio 5 Gallery in Paducah Kentucky
I visited the Studio 5 gallery located in Paducah Kentucky after noticing their interesting art collection on their official website. The fact that the gallery features works of art a relatively unknown artist made the visit more interesting since I got to view novel artwork on which I could form my own conclusions on. Of all the paintings in the gallery, I was impressed was a painting depicting a solitary barn and surrounding aptly named "West KY Barn at Rt. 121 & 1104" (Renzulli, 2015).
William F. Renzulli
West KY Barn at Rt. 121 & 1104.
The painting was drawn by William. F. Renzulli, a Kentucky artist whose artwork features prominently in the studio 5 gallery with his specialty being watercolor images of buildings such as barns.
Content and Meaning
Like in the painting above, the artist likes to paint old and seemingly deserted barns due to the natural look and colors that old structures have as they are reclaimed by nature. Renzulli has used watercolor as a medium to highlight the various shades and hues of the barn and its surrounding environment; the artist has also named the barn using its real location.
Depicting Reclamation by Nature
From what I can see, the artist is trying to depict the reclamation of structures by nature, as can be deduced from the algae growing on the abandoned or neglected barn. The artist has predominantly used earthy colors which do not offer a detailed view of the barn and its surroundings but manages to reveal the general appearance of the features and give the painting a surreal appearance. In my opinion, the artist used a general appearance in order not to distract the audience with unnecessary details since the main focus is on natural processes and features.
The Role of Nature in Rural Areas
The painting was made by replicating the features and conditions around an existing barn which apart from depicting life in a rural area highlights the major role nature has in such settings. The use of watercolor paints is commendable as it gives the landscape a more natural look which in my opinion, would not be easily achieved using oil paints.
A Realistic and Surreal Feel
Overall, I think the artist did a great job replicating the barn and the surrounding environment. Even if he does not include vivid details of both the barn and environment the shading and structure of various features such as the trees, barn, sky, and the ground is well done. The lack of intense details is what gives the painting a more realistic yet surreal feel which captures the effect of nature reclaiming human spaces and architecture through decay that gives life to plant life which transforms the architecture to a more natural state.
The Cyclical Process of Life and Decay
Plant life on the building is similar to the surrounding vegetation which could be translated that eventually, nature shall reclaim the barn's construction materials and the space it occupies. In my opinion, I think the artist's message is that eventually, nature takes over and reduces everything to a natural state through a cyclical process of life and decay.
Elements Present
The texture, value, space, and color are the most prominent art elements that Renzulli has relied upon to create the desired effect on the audience. In regards to the texturing, the painting has a soft appearance which is due to light shading, which created an effect of a fading scene. This texture made me feel and think that the image was painted in low light conditions such as a cloudy morning or as the sun was setting giving the scene a gloomy and final mood.
Creating Depth and Mood
Renzulli has used a combination of various values to create various effects such as depth and mood. The foreground of the image is composed of light values which progress into middle gray and darker hues in background imagery which gave the image depth since the darker shades gave me the impression that the objects depicted like the trees and barn were farther away. Giving the sky a middle gray value gave the painting a surreal effect which may have been due to a minimal amount of sunshine giving the image a glum feel.
Effective Use of Space
The artist has utilized space appropriately whereby; he has used the elements to separate contrasting areas in the painting which has given depth to the artwork. In the painting the brighter foreground made up of grass on open parches of ground has been separated from the darker background composed of the barn and trees which has given the painting the required depth. By using the element of space Renzulli gave more meaning to the painting with the foreground representing life and the background showing decay.
Color for Mood and Meaning
Color has been extensively used in the image with Renzulli using various hues and intensities to communicate various things such as the mood, types of objects and meaning of the image. Various hues have been used to represent various types of vegetation such as light green hues for grass and dark green hues for algae, while darker and lighter hues of brown and have been used to represent various types of trees in the background. Renzulli has used color to give the painting a somber mood due to the contrasting light and dark hues used in the painting.
Depicting the End of Old Farming Ways
In my opinion, the painting is depicting the end of the old farming ways of rural America with the barn acting as a representation of the past which has been surpassed by modern structures such as silos. In my opinion, Renzulli's nativity to Kentucky confirms my suspicions since as the painting was completed in the modern age.
Conclusion
I enjoyed my visiting the Studio 5 gallery due to the novel paintings I got to observe and inspect. The fact that majority like West KY Barn at Rt. 121 & 1104 were based on a feature that I can visit for comparison and contrasting purposes as well as judging the skill of Renzulli by judging the accuracy of the depiction. In my opinion, the artist has demonstrated his skill due to his use of appropriate colors, form, space, hues, textures, and values to give the painting a melancholic feel that gives the artwork many possible connotations which the audience can explore as they internalize the image.
Works Cited
.Renzulli, William. (2015). West KY Barn at Rt. 121 & 1104. [Watercolor 9×3]. Retrieved from http://renzulliart.com/project/west-ky-barn-rt-121-1104-1/
