Lucas/Rug, created by American Chuck Close in 1940, is silk with a linen wrap, essentially a large rug meant to be hung like a tapestry from the wall. Upon the rug, there is a depiction of a male face, presumably middle aged, perhaps with scruffy hair and beard. These details are unclear as the entire work is created with dots, splotches and streaks of various colors in almost a Pointillist-inspired technique. The colors used are mainly greens, blues, oranges, browns, and purples, with pale yellows in the face and hair. While these colors seem random upon initial examination, with closer examination it becomes evident that there is a circular nature to the dots, drawing a clear focus into the face and eyes in particular. The farther away you view this piece, the more evident this pattern becomes. This is perhaps true because the attributes of this man also become more defined from a farther away vantage point.
These attributes help to define the man’s emotional state captured within the work. He is very much a dominating figure. First of all, this face is much larger than the viewer--larger than the average person’s standing height. He is also hung higher up, thus appearing to look down on the viewer. The circular nature of the dots also draw the viewer’s attention to the eyes of the man (centered almost exactly in the middle of the rug), which seem to be staring right at the viewer. His eyes are bright and piercing, almost glaring at the viewer, as if to question their presence. The colors used--predominantly darker, cooler and saturated--also help to establish this idea of dominance and even intimidation. In the end, the use of color, the size and scope of this face, and the circular pattern of the work all establish the overall dominating element to Close’e Lucas/Rug.
No comments:
Post a Comment