Critique of Dee Edmond's Painting

The work shown to us is a singular painting, it is displayed on an unpainted chip board style background. The boards are arranged so that the painting is in an alcove, as though the image is receding back from than the space of the viewer. This was unusual, maybe the intention was to keep a minimal number of people viewing the painting at one time. As though this was something to be looked at and contemplated alone.

The content of the painting could be described as a fantasy landscape, the colours used are creamy pastel shades of complementary yellows and purples. If the painting was to continue outside of the frame I would expect or imagine the area to be quite a vast space. Which is why I found the alcove unnecessarily 'cosy'.

When we are talking about what certain things symbolise we can become conflicted between quite opposite ideas. For example regarding colour use it is hard to say whether the artist has used particular shades to express one thing or completely another. The response can become very subjective to the viewer.

The space in the painting has been given perspective by the use of a two chairs and two main subjects. In the background we see a women with her hand on top of one of the chairs and in the foreground we see a crow stood on top of the other. There appears to be a communicative relationship between the two, or rather a lack of. The crow faces into the painting and towards the women with it's beak open as though aiming sound at her. The woman's face looks away from the bird and out of the painting. The artist appears to be conveying a situation between the two living entities that is somewhat serious or meaningful. The colours used in these two parts of the painting are darker. They separate themselves from the otherwise dream like world presented to us. A chair is what we can relate to as something from everyday life, something that is real and 'usual'. It appears significant that both the woman and the crow are holding onto these, as though striving to keep into the realms of reality.

We can assume that this scenario is imagined, created or 'tweaked' by the artist herself, the choice of bird type gives the impression of a fable or story with a meaning. Crows can symbolise prophecy to those who choose to believe and were often creatures used as familiars to witches. To add to this one interpretation crows are seen to be very intelligent on a scientific level. It is hard to believe that the use of this bird in her painting is due to chance or 'random' choice. The haze of colours and woman's clothing support that this is a representation of a magical happening.

On technical analysis we can see that there are flecks in the paint of dust and brush hairs. Once these have been noted it is harder to accept the painting as a successful piece of work. Through history paintings have been regarded as insights, there is something powerful and almost godly about them. Maybe this is an old fashioned way of thinking, but none the less the professionalism and the overall outcome of this painting is lessened by these lazy 'mistakes'. This is true also of the shoddy board on which the image is painted onto. If an artist is to make money selling his or her work, care and attention needs to be made to presentation as well as content.