Voluptuous
Lines is taken from a section of Chirpy, a spiraling painting three feet tall
by sixty feet long. The image deals with the first and simplest of the five
elements of design: line. Line can be used to create the rest of the visual
alphabet: shape, mass, texture and color. In the piece simple lines create
a plane and add dimension as they melt over the mass of a human form. The
opposing shades create a bright clash of color while the drips pictured, coupled
with the thickness of the actual paint screen-printed, add to the texture
of the design. One can see and actually feel the paint oozing off the figure’s
fingertips and down the shirt. The surreal qualities are reminiscent of Salvador
Dali’s The Persistence of Memory which depicts his famous melting clocks
and, like most of his work, exhibits a deep understanding of the use of the
elements of design. Deep planes and interesting imagery can be seen in both
works, although the “bare-bones” feel of Voluptuous Lines makes
obvious the potential of the use of lines to create so much more.