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Level 3. Advanced Practice -Part Three.Incoming Voices. Research- Part Two.

Below is my research on compositional solutions and elemental structures for my project “Riviera Flowers”.

I used the book “Landscape Painting Now. From Pop Abstraction to New Romanticism”, edited by Todd Bradway, an essay by Barry Schwabsky, and contributions by Robert R. Shane, Louise Sørensen, and Susan A. Van Scoy. Published by Thames & Hudson, 2019;

It contains an excellent selection of modern landscapes I can study for my project. Below, I placed some images of those paintings I resonate with regarding their compositional solutions. These paintings share the theme: garden, flowers, foliage, greenery.

Disclaimer: All images are from the book “Landscape Painting Now. From Pop Abstraction to New Romanticism”, edited by Todd Bradway, essay by Barry Schwabsky, contributions by Robert R. Shane, Louise Sørensen, and Susan A. Van Scoy. Published by Thames & Hudson, 2019;

After I searched this book, I came up with certain types of compositional solutions, which I named below. I also paid a great deal of attention to several elements in the painting since my Tutor advised me to think about this aspect, too. In his feedback for Part Two, which I did earlier, he advised me to study the structural elements and other artists’ decisions regarding how they use negative space and how many elements they include in their paintings.

Group 1: Emphasis on one large front element.

Below: Davos, Gerhard Richter, 1981, oil on canvas.

I find this compositional and elemental structure solution very elegant. Even if it is not busy, the sky occupies almost half of the painting. Only one element—the sun—is placed in the entire upper space of the canvas. The mountain is depicted with great detail. I see the contrast between empty skies and a “busy” mountain. That contrast creates an engaging dynamic I want to keep viewing. It is important to note the horizon line is diagonal, not straight. This approach creates complexity and enigma, eliminating flatness.

Below: 4 pm, Alex Katz, 2014, oil on canvas ( 356.8*273.3 cm)

This painting also contains a large element brought to the viewer’s eyes—a tree. The perspective opens up through the tree’s foliage. The elements in this painting—yellow grass, river, hill, and sky—are all depicted in a semi-abstract manner, without details, represented by blocks of colours. Another interesting detail is the absence of a straight horizontal line.

Below: Barn Door View, Lois Dodd, 2009, oil on linen,

The front element is a tree’s stem and shadow from the tree’s leaves on the grass. Here, I also see large blocks of colour. I find the artist’s decision to place a dark piece at the centre of the painting very interesting. This creates an enigmatic depth and necessary dynamic for the painting. There is also no straight horizontal line.

Group B: Tunnel view with strong panoramic perspective

Below:

A Closer Winter Tunnel, February-March 2006, David Hockney, oil on six canvases, 91.4* 121.9 each, 182.9* 356.7 cm overall.

Late Spring Tunnel, David Hockney, May 2006, oil on two canvases ( overall size is 121.9*182.9 cm)

I resonate with these paintings because they share my approach to colours. The artists use lots of different shades of green, which is what I do as well. The artists also depict the elements with a list of details. This compositional solution suggests creating two viewing options, such as a panoramic view along with a tunnel-road view at the centre.

Group C: Perspective, wide panoramic view.

Below: Under the Trees, David Hockney, 2010-2011, oil on twenty canvases, each 91.4* 121.9, 356.7* 609.6 overall.

This painting suggests a wide panoramic view with no dominant elements at front. The artist shares my love to depicting flowers in their details, he handles different shades of green as well. I see unconventional approach to depicting trees’s stems in unusual purple colour.

Below: High Definition, Luiz Zerbini, 2010, acrylic on canvas, 250 *400 cm;

I resonate with those artist’s approach because of their love for creating many very different details. This approach allows the creation of multiple points of view due to the number of those details and their complexity. The compositional solution: the sea shore and the skies the viewer can see through the trees is absolutely smart since it allows to creation of so much breathable space where all those complex and diverse details can “live comfortably.”

No perspective, flat, “wallpaper” style.

This is indeed a “flat” look. It is important to note that the plants are placed on the surface in a loose, unevenly scattered manner. The viewer can observe “empty” patches.

Above: Untitled/Án titils (Barnarót), Eggert Pétursson, 2011-12, oil on canvas (100*80 cm)

The dark tones around the centre of the canvas create the less flat look and add some depth and drama.

Above: Untitled, Eggert Pétursson, 2015-18, oil on canvas (190*260 cm)

I did some schematic sketches on paper to help me reflect on compositional elements and structures.

I am glad I did the analysis above because it helped me develop my compositional decision and elemental placement solution. It was important for me to note that all paintings didn’t follow the approach of creating a strict geometric linear perspective. All horizontal lines were not perfectly straight, and all were deliberately curved, being quite off the centre and far from perfect geometry. I understood what I wanted to have in my project:

  1. I want to keep many elements, which are different flowers I have been working on, trees’ stems and foliage;
  2. I don’t want to develop it in an abstract or semi-abstract style, so I won’t be using just blocks of colour;
  3. I will not place one element as a dominant element in front of the viewer’s eyes;
  4. I want to develop a wide panoramic view with lots of breathable space for my elements.
  5. I will use dark tones at the centre or bottom corners of the surface.

I decided to develop my “Riviera Flowers” project’s drawings using the compositional and elemental placement solutions of the above paintings:

On the left below High Definition, Luiz Zerbini, 2010, acrylic on canvas, 250 *400 cm;

On the right below Barn Door View, Lois Dodd, 2009, oil on linen; I place them below together so you don’t have to scroll up again to find them.

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