BP#2

Tulips 4

Alex Katz

This is a 2D piece of tulips. The first thing that struck me about this painting was the brightly colored tulips scattered throughout the canvas. As I analyzed the artwork more closely, I noticed that most of the shapes in this work are organic.  The diagonal lines that make up the leaves and top of the tulips imply movement and direction. The tulips are what fill the positive space and the chalkboard-colored background would have to be the negative space. The yellow color of the tulips seems very warm and the different light green colors of the leaves emit warmth, as well. The artist definitely made use of analogous colors by using light green and yellow. Texture-wise, the implied surface quality of this piece looks quite smooth. In terms of pattern, the motif is yellow tulips and light green tulip leaves.

Since we recently discussed Georgia O’Keefe and her larger-than-life flower paintings, this work of art by Alex Katz easily reminds me of O’Keefe’s work. I think Katz’s purpose for creating this piece was to portray the brighter side of life. Choosing such a dark color for a background to compliment the subject of his painting means something. The gloomy background represents all the things we consider to be malicious and the vivid tulips represent hope that still exists despite all the cruelty. Katz could have covered the whole painting with yellow tulips, but instead he chose to let the gloomy color show through in between the leaves and the tulips. This piece is a reminder that one needs not to take a stand to either be pessimistic because of the cruelties of life or be optimistic of all the wonderful things in life. Rather, we must only understand that good and bad exist and that it is up to us to fill up the canvas of more tulips or not.