Van Gogh & Abram Games Flashcards
what where some inspo for Van Gogh art
japanese art - bright colours and the view points
his mental health - schizophrenia and depression
Realism - real life scenes - night cafe is example
Post Impressionism - Paul Gauguin - same vivid colours, paint application and subject matter
what where Van Gogh brushstrokes like?
he used dabs, impasto, dots and small lines (swirly lines too)
used a paint brush to apply oil paint onto a wet surface. called “wet on wet.” - creates movement
his brushstrokes where criss crossed and pointilism where dots and dashes were repeated - gives texture
Use of visual impact for Games poster
Strong use of vertical line creates order in layout - reassuring in an uncertain/chaotic time
Strong variation of tone used in land/sea sections - dramatic shadow under focal point emphasis vast scale
Colour analysis for Van Gogh painting
Contrasting colours to give depth - yellow floorboards and red walls in background/foreground
Harmonising colours of yellow and orange around light bulb gives impression of artificial light
Red, yellow and green - sickly combo overall
Green counter in background - cool colour so looks distant - emphasis lonely atmosphere
Explain the subject matter of Van Gogh painting
Drinks are left on empty tables – untended - lonley
pool table - center of the room sarrounded by negative space - focal point
counter in back - distant - unwelcoming
What is Van Gogh consideration of mood and atmosphere in his painting?
Lonely atmosphere – tables and people far
apart. Unsociable atmosphere – large empty floor spaces. Air/mood
of judgement from elevated and distant viewpoint
What is Games impact of social, cultural and/or other influences.
The art style Art Deco - sophisticated/streamlined shapes - for example the water ripples on the right side in forground and middleground
Surrealism that was very popular at the time - shows a view of life all while asserting power on an unconscious level which is what he did with the promotional text in the middleground
WW1 and WW2 - as it impacted his childhood - the poster is WW1 propaganda- example is the ship which is a type used during the war
Art school - Games’s studied at St Martins School of Art in London a n d was often told that his style was too simplistic to be a commercial artist. he ignored them and continued his style of art deco for posters
Van Gogh composition
Composition : Focal point, pool table,
elevated viewpoint – judgement
How did Van Gogh create texture
Texture: Decisive and rapid brushstrokes create visible brush marks –
emotional and honest approach, evidence of paint (painterly/uneven
texture) shows energy and enthusiasm.
Shape/form of Van Gogh painting
Shape and/or Form - Effect of large areas of negative shape in foreground, create an unsociable atmosphere, due to the emptiness
that they show. Overall shape of room elongated/ long and reactangular which makes the counter appear distant and unwelcoming
Games fitness of purpose
Games organised layout of this poster is in quarters, which relates to the uniformed order of soldiers barracks, therefore this makes
the poster more appealing to the soldiers this poster is directly aimed at.
The metamorphosed imagery of a spade and ship is clear and powerful , which makes the spade as mighty as the large ship
therefore persuading soldiers who may be more used to large exciting equipment to be motivated to use a humble spade.
Games visual impact
Strong use of dividing vertical and horizontal lines create order in layout/message - reassuring/comforting in uncertain and
chaotic times of war
Strong variation of tone used in the land and sea sections creates a dramatic and elongated shadow under the focal point
emphasising its vast scale, highlighting its self-sufficiency message
Materials games used
Technique/ Materials:
Airy stippled blue hue of sky – tactile quality which contrasts with flat area of spade and ship – helping focal point have strong
presence
The portrait format of the design inspired games to combine the spade and ship which created an icon representing his
message.
Combining minimal text and imagery was Games aim because he knew that the message would be more memorable with less
intricate detail.
Games use of techniques/working method
Games used airbrushing too create a smooth transition from blue to white in the background - gives poster a sleek visual impact
Games backed his paper during the printing process - this ensured the poster finish was slick and porofesinal - can be seen in the smooth flat brown colour of the spade in middleground
He believed posters are viewed from a distance and Therfore appears small to the viewer - planned his poster on small inch high thumbnail sketches in his planning process - evident as he used bold simple imagery used for ship and spade
Games consideration/style
Poster has a surreal aesthetic/style cause the imagery morphs from a spade on one side into a ship one the other - encourages viewer to look closer and consider meaning more deeply
Poster is art deco - clean lines made into geometric shapes, such as shape of spade - would have made the poster seem more modern and stylish at the time
Poster is simplistic - he used just enough detail to make imagery clear such as thing white lines for the sea to suggest waves - makes poster bold and sleek
