Formal Analysis

Work: Any Act Red, Bruce E. Smith (Undated), acrylic on canvas.

Any Act Red immediately strikes the viewer because of its size. It is a large painting. It appears to depict a young girl painting a bed frame. Letters, numbers, and words appearing over the image dramatically change what might be a rather quaint scene. The black “NAME” on the top left of the painting immediately draws the eye. From there, the eye follows to the black X is the middle of the painting, then to the black ABC and then to the black box at the bottom. These black marks stand out from a scene painted largely in lighter, less vivid tones. The smaller numbers, letters, and words give a sense that the painting is perhaps a “paint-by-numbers” work, or is maybe a work in progress. They have a sense of instruction about them.

In the bottom left corner is what appears to be a paint palette. The palette could belong to the girl in the painting, but it is also possible that it belongs to the artist himself. The palette, along with some other shapes along the bottom and some circles along the top have a feeling of being separate from the scene, perhaps overlaid on top of it. The shapes, along with the numbers, letters, and words, seem to give the painting much of its significance. While there is girl in the image, in some ways she does not seem to be the subject. At the bottom edge of the painting it says “ANY ACT RED BY HER TEN OR EPERGNE.” An epergne is an ornamental centerpiece.

One of the other striking qualities about the painting is its sense of messiness. In some places, the way it is painted feels both hurried and unfinished. This type of brushwork also gives certain areas lots of softness, which more clearly defined forms, like the girl, the bed, the letters, the numbers, and the words, stand out against. These forms become the focal points. The painting is quite pleasant to look at, particularly because of the softness of some of the brushwork and of some of the colors.