Farrell - What is Painting

            To me, the act of painting is about the application of a colored medium to a surface. The surface or method of application does not necessarily matter. Applying a pigmented dye to a piece of fabric is as much painting as putting oil paint on a canvas. I also think that there is a very big difference between the act of painting and a completed painting. You can paint and create a painting but you do not always create a painting when you paint. You can paint a house, a pot, or some yarn but just because you painted these objects does not make them paintings. Painting as an act is freeing because you are not limited in what you create. You can stay very traditional and seek to make a painting or you can paint something as a part of an instillation or almost any other art practice. You can paint by applying a pale brown glaze to a pot and you can paint by creating a tattoo.

Examples of Painting:

Test #5, Ghada Amer, 2013, acrylic, embroidery and gel medium on canvas, 18"x20"

I chose this piece because I love the artist's work and it is a good example of the range of things that I consider to be painting. In this case the I would say that the artist painted with the acrylic, EMBROIDERY and the gel medium. Another thing that I love about this piece is that the embroidery is not hidden but is a prominent part of the piece.



The Chasseur in the Forest, Caspar David Friedrich, 1814, oil on canvas, 66 x 47 cm

I included this painting because it is one of my favorite paintings, even though it is fairly traditional in terms of materials. I love this painting not just for the imagery but because of the artist's story. One of the things that I think makes a painting interesting is the artist's story. I have found that I tend to like a painting more once I learn about the artist who created it. I think that sometimes people forget about the importance of the painter on the painting. Weather the painter is creating a painting or something else they are putting themselves into there work. Some painters put more of themselves into a piece then others but the painter always has a lasting impression on the piece, even if you don't see that impression.




Ohhh....Alright, Roy Litchenstein, 1964, 36" x 38"

I chose this painting as the last one to include because I needed to include a different style of artwork.