Arts Challenge 2 – Same, same but different

This challenge asked us to select a conceptual focus and find, appraise and create artworks using that concept. I chose dachshunds (or sausage dogs as I prefer to call them) because we own a miniature dachshund called Daisy and she is the centre of our universe. Not only are they the best little dogs, but I love the way dachshunds look; their super long, skinny bodies, their short, little legs and their big, floppy ears. I have always loved dachshund art and found it very enjoyable doing this exploring to find pieces!

Below are the three representations of dachshunds in art that I found. Each is from a different art style and uses different materials.

Now it was time to choose one art work and find out more about it, through an appreciation and appraisal.

I chose the Picasso artwork ‘Lump’ because I have always adored it. I have even considered getting it as a tattoo (Like I said, dachshund obsessed). Here it is again below.

1. My first thoughts of the work: I immediately love how he has created the shape of a dachshund with one clean line. It is so simple and yet so effective and truly captures the defining features of a dachshund (long body, short legs, big ears).
2. A more formal analysis of the work: a) Where is my eye drawn first? Straight to that long body. I love that he has emphasised the length. b) What is represented or suggested? I think he is really focussing on the shape of the dachshund in this work. When you think of dachshunds, you immediately think of those long bodies, and this piece truly captures that. c) Describe the lines used in the work. Well, this piece is all line! It really gives the work a sense of simplicity. I find it so clever that one line can create such a distinct shape. It’s the epitome of ‘less is more’ in my opinion and I love it. d) Is there a limited range of colours? Yes, this is monochrome in colour palette as it is literally only black on white. But I don’t think that this limits the affect of the piece at all. If anything, it makes it stand out even more. e) Do the colours create a mood or suggest ideas or feelings? I think the colours evoke a very calm feeling. You’re not bombarded with lots of different colours and textures. Your eye is just drawn to the shape of the dachshund. f) Is the work mainly dark or light? I think there are areas of both, the black is dark and the white is light. I love monochrome so this is a winner for me. g) Is the work balanced? Yes I think so. The sketch is in the centre of the frame, the shape is almost symmetrical. It’s very balanced. h) Are there any surfaces that are visually interesting or intriguing? I think the whole piece is interesting and intriguing. It’s essentially only one surface. i) Is the work busy or is there empty space? It’s very simple and yes there is a lot of empty white space surrounding the drawing. How does this affect your feeling of the work? I love that it is so minimal. It draws my eye to the drawing straight away and has no distractions. j) Are there repeated elements in the work creating a rhythm? I think the line creates a nice flow and a steady rhythm. k) Describe the movement or stillness in the work. What elements do you notice that create this? The simple line creates a stillness for sure! l) Do you know what medium the artist used in the piece? Does the artists choice of medium affect the reading of the work? How? I believe he has used a pencil for this work and it was definitely the right choice. It has made the piece so simple and effective.
3. My response in paragraph form: When comparing my first impression of this work to how I feel after looking deeper into it through the questions, I can definitely see more defining features of the work. I think the fact that he has used one, clean line is a testament to Picasso’s talent. It’s easy to think that that is an easy task, but when trying it yourself (and I did) it’s a real challenge! The style is so simple yet so powerful and its impressive that a single, unbroken line can create such a profound effect. I also think that could also be linked to the subject matter itself: dachshunds. Upon first glance or first thought, people think of a funny looking dog with a long body. But when you delve deeper into them, they are full of personality and life! Much like this piece. I am a minimalist myself and love black and white, so I adore this work. I find I am more drawn to pieces like this than those that are overworked or have a lot of colour, texture, shapes etc in them. It is easy to look and truly speaks for itself. I own a lot of line art myself for that very reason. It suits any space and is a real statement piece that evokes conversation.

Finally, it was my turn to create three different representations of a dachshund.

1. Line art, using black pen on paper, using Picasso’s work as inspiration. This was much harder than it looks and definitely proved my point about Picasso’s talent!

2. Hand drawn sketch, using coloured pencils on paper. I drew this using a photograph of my own dachshund Daisy as inspiration. I’ll be honest, drawing is much harder than I remember it being at school. But, I enjoyed challenging myself and am pretty happy with how it turned out.

3. 3D model, using lego. I tried my best to emulate a dachshund shape using lego, including the long body and flappy ears.

I really enjoyed this challenge as it required me to delve deeper into all aspects of art; finding, analysing and creating.