Arnold Rice, "Braids"


    Ready for a mystery?   Unfortunately I must present one today.  Our artist this week is Arnold Rice and I could not find any information about him!  It is known that he created this work in 1995 and it is now in a private collection.  So this is all the information I can provide.  It is a mystery.

    Yet this painting is compelling.  I find it amazing.  Symmetrically designed compositions are very difficult to find.  Often an artist does not use this system of balance because it is considered to confining, limiting freedom of expression. . But obviously and happily, Mr. Rice didn't get that memo!  

  Let's look at color first:  Blue, brown/orange and yellow (in paint, black is considered the total of all color, white the absence). Rice uses them almost flat, meaning little attempt at creating depth, shape.  The yellow dress is the perfect example. Only under, behind the girl do we see the curves and light shading that tell us where the woman's legs are.  No shadows on the blue floor or the wall behind. I just noticed that on the floor, the right and left sides don't match.  The right side is slightly higher than the left.  It is only the shapes of the chair that provide depth to the picture.  

    It seems safe to assume the woman and girl are related.  The yellow sun dress indicates it must be warm and with the jewelry, that they are preparing for some special occasion.  I love the fact that the woman seems to be looking down at what she is doing, but the girl is looking straight at us!  We are there, she sees us.   

   I find "Braids" a fun work to look at, and so am sorry there is no information about the artist.   It is an oil on canvas done in 1995, no dimensions given and in a private collection.  

Make Art a part of your life, it's a beautiful thing to do. 

Comments

  1. Charlotte HarguthApril 20, 2022 at 7:58 PM

    Yes, this is fun. That solid yellow dress is so bold; her rigid arms and the solid colors are so strong. They have both been through this ritual many times. I'm sure the braid is perfect, and the girl is patient and relaxed. My eyes did not see the miss matched floor. I think her left arm also seems longer!! Unusual. What a different and exciting painting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Art Expert On LineApril 21, 2022 at 6:11 AM

      Yes, definitely, her left arm is much longer than her right. I had not noticed. Maybe the artist wanted to suggest movement forward? As always, Char, you make such great observations. Thanks for sharing!

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