Color

A color that I am most drawn to is the color red. According to Color Wheel Pro, "red is the color of fire and blood, so it is associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination as well as passion, desire, and love." [Color Wheel Pro ]. It is also described as "emotionally intense[, that] enhances [and] increases human metabolism, respiration rates, and blood pressure." When I view the color red I see endless examples of the aforementioned descriptions. I often associate red with anger and energy, and apply those emotions to my artwork. Red Amaryllis by Georgia O'Keefe

One of the pieces I chose is Georgia O'Keefe's "Red Amaryllis". I think it's a perfect representation of the color red and all the attributes that follow. The flower as a whole is supposed to represent love and affection, and the background provides a halo that looks as though it is on fire. The flower also looks like an explosion, which is and attribute to war, anger, and pain. The red dominates the entire canvas and flows out instead of consolidating itself into one central area of the canvas. Man in a Red Turban by Jan Van Eyck

The second piece I chose is Van Eyck's "Man in a Red Turban". The art history world speculates that this is a potential self portrait of the artist himself, but there has not been any concrete information to back up the claim. I find myself drawn to this painting, because the entire image is a Renaissance painting of a man, but the entire pallet consists of dark, muted colors. The entire painting, with the exception to the man's face, is essentially black and the red adds a nice pop of color. The addition of red into the turban draws the viewer back to the painting, and makes one question the motive behind Van Eyck's decision to make the piece dark with a pop of red.
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