Friday, October 9, 2015

The triptych is Finished

Hallelujah!

Last week we packed the 3 by 12 foot triptych into a 50 x 38 x 6 inch box and my spouse (Joe) and I headed to Lancaster, PA. However, we never got there because we were caught in torrential downpours in Maryland complete with flash floods that caused our car’s electrical system to go haywire. I hadn’t had time to take photos of the finished panels together before our failed trip, so today I looked at the three panels and realized that I should have scrutinized the compositional relationships between the three portraits more closely when planning the triptych. Having said that, I don’t know if anyone will notice the problem I see since the artist is always his/her own worst critic. So, the only remaining problem is whether or not Julia Roberts and Madonna should be looking away from Johnny Depp or toward him.

(A)


(B)


I’ll leave that question to the viewer. Look at both arrangements carefully and let me know which you prefer (A or B). You can place your answer in “comments” on Facebook or in “comments” here on the blog. The blog comments section is located at the bottom of this entry. Just click on the word, “comment” and you will be given the opportunity to vote and write any other comment(s) you wish. I will report the result of this informal survey on Facebook.

3 comments:

Alan Lewis said...

John, I like B the best. It seems to start smooth (with my favorite actress)gets dark and finishes bright.
Alan

Alan Lewis said...

John, I like B the best. It starts with calm(my favorite actress),gets dark and finishes with a flash of a smile.
Alan Lewis

Will said...

For me it's an optical thing -- if the women are looking away from Johnny, I see the composition as thrusting him forward; if they look inward at him, I see them as subtly dominant with him recessed a little despite the fact that his face dominates as to size. I think B is a more unified arrangement as the women appear to be making eye contact with a slightly recessed Johnny and each other, binding the three images together. In A, where there's no such connection, I feel encouraged to examine each panel of the triptych as a separate entity.

So, it boils down to the idea you wish to convey: three stars/major pop culture icons, isolated from each other given the particular world they live in (A), or three stars, individual personalities who nevertheless share a common experience within that world.