Example Of Comparison Paper Critical Thinking

An exhibition of Fred Tomaselli works is recently on display at the Orange County Museum of Art. His work consists of newspaper articles that he adapts and presents as art and large paintings which are colorful and extremely detailed. Gyre, 2014 and After Nov. 11, 2010, 2014 are two works that showcase his talent. Both pieces were displayed on plain white walls in conjunction with several of his other works. The bright lighting in the gallery allows for careful and thoughtful viewing in which every detail can be appreciated. The purpose of his work is to capture and enthrall the viewer in his detailed composition. To view his work is an escape, an opportunity to get lost for a few minutes in his complex and detailed world.
Tomaselli cites the news as often being his inspiration. These two paintings are not clearly based on the news as are several of his other works. The context, however, of current events is evident in Gyre. A fish jumping from the ocean is vomiting up hundreds of tiny images that represent the overexposure to the news and media. After Nov. 11, 2014, also presents a busy and sharply colored collage that depicts the overwhelming amount of news that is processed by people every day. Both pieces evoke the excessive coverage and amount of information geared toward the public.
Tomaselli uses bright colors and sharp details in his works. Both Gyre and After Nov. 11, 2010 are colorful kaleidoscopes. The images are built from small details and images similar to a collage or quilt. Each of these small images and colorful objects creates the piece as a whole. The repetition of a shape or color pulls both works together and provides a backbone and movement in the work.
Both pieces use an unusual assortment of materials to compose the image. Thy medium Tomaselli uses is a collection of acrylic paints, leaves, photographs and resin to compose both pieces. One is not aware of this unusual use of materials. At first glance the pieces appear to be simple paintings. Closer inspection reveals the small details that build the image. Pieces of the whole in addition to the leaves and photographs, are small hand painted graphics that Tomaselli made. All of these little pieces are cemented in layers of resin which give his work a 3 dimension characteristic. What appeared to be flat and two dimensional from a distance takes on new meaning in this context.
Gyre is carefully balanced in its composition. A fish is depicted jumping form the water and it is spewing a wealth of information up into the starry night sky. The water is constructed from spirals of blue, black and green. They are very sharp and graphic. The fish is neutral in its color, but tension can be felt as its body contracts to make the leap. Tomaselli uses neutral colors like beige, yellow white. The scales are clearly delineated and the fish as a whole if outlined in red. The vomit the fish is spewing is a tight collage of a myriad of images including a shower head, glue stick, a box of pasta. Small eyes also run throughout. The flow of the line as it explodes into the sky is carried along by the repetition of an eye-shaped shapes that are bright red and stand out among the small images. The trajectory is clearly defined but swimming through it and escaping away from is are tiny white shapes that appear to be sperm. The transition into the black nighttime ski that is dotted with white stars.
The works have an Indian feel to them in both the use of shapes, such as paisleys and dots as well as the choice of colors. The bright colors are intense and defined by sharp black lines. Although the colors are bright, they are not primaries. The bright colors and shapes are highly stylized like patterns seen in Indian Art and culture. The works differ in the respect that Gyre is a figurative piece and After Nov. 11, 2010 is abstract.
Both works are extremely active and dynamic. The feeling of movement is clearly seen in both. The fish jumping out of the water and the flow of vomit are a second in time, but the imagination can continue the movement that is implied in the piece. The explosion in After Nov. 11, 2010, also has the same continuous motion. The explosion feels as it is continuing outward and away from the piece. Although both works are large scale, it is implied that they are only capturing a small part of the action that is occurring.
Tomaselli’s work is vibrant and complex. Getting lost in his collages and unique use of materials instills an appreciation for his talent. The use of sharp color and lines is dexterous and defines the movement of both pieces. Details such as the repetition of small shapes evokes the movement from afar but not are appreciated until one views the pieces up close. The over-abundance of news and media and its effect on the human mind is apparent in both pieces.