Art & Critique

Tracy Helgeson: Fields

This piece describes an open landscape, and it differs significantly from most of the artist’s paintings because of that. Usually there was something to catch the eye — a barn, a road or a tree — but here, despite the path between the two fields, the viewing remains unobstructed. I think that this peculiarity marks a minor compositional and stylistic deviation, which signals the artist’s readiness to evolve creatively and try new things. This is the stuff that makes people come back for more; the changes and surprises within the familiar framework. Additionally, we see some green color, a rare hue in the artist’s palette. It gives the yellow a friendly tinge unwitnessed (by me) before; the only familiar color here is the pale and coolly neutral blue, which serves as a style tag and links the painting to others. In the context of the artist’s oeuvre, this piece may fall under the category of “transitional,” or “experimental.”

I would like to suggest an association (improbable as it may seem) to expound the movement of the fields. I find that the yellow areas, outlined by soft arches, resemble the backs of swimming whales (that I saw on television). The path between the two fields would be the mouth of one of the animals. There is a quiet, slow and imperial motion evident in the yellow thickness, and it reminds me of the see in general, and of those mammal in particular. The grandeur of nature is given more freedom and it fills the open space to the brim; the green forest appears to almost drown in the yellow abundance. Also, I like how the area near the lower edge of the panel can be ambiguously interpreted as either a part of the principal or a negative space. In the second case, it correlates to the sky as an enclosing element of the bright field in the middle, in the first case it becomes a complementary foil to the brighter counterpart.

The trademark purple is not entirely absent: it creates a glow in the form of almost every line in this piece, including the edges of the panel. In a way, it’s as if it simmers somewhere beneath or behind the rest of the colors, occasionally bursting out, creating an effect of eclipse. This feature may also refer to the artist’s strong allegiance and trust in her palette. Some colors are always present — even when they aren’t. The four segments of this piece divide it into a balanced composition, the uneven green line of the forest providing some cheerful irregularity. I think that when compared to others in terms of atmosphere, this piece emerges as more calm, as it lacks human presence (though the fields imply it). For once, the artist ignores the tension between the artificial and the natural, offering a psychological respite. I’m taking it, and I recommend it to everyone involved — it adds perspective and provides a welcome sense of closure.

Read my other reviews of Tracy Helgeson’s artwork.

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Read Related Reviews:

• Tracy Helgeson: A May Day
• Tracy Helgeson: Dark Blue Barn
• Tracy Helgeson: Byzantine Blue Road
• Tracy Helgeson

This entry was posted on Saturday, October 20th, 2007 at 11:00 pm and is filed under Daily/Frequent Painters, Tracy Helgeson. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.