Reading this article (click here) on her work reminded me of several artists whose work is similar formally, but also in its notion that one role of art is to make us recoil, and then realize that an illustration of something terrible is only a meagre stand-in for the real thing.
Leon Golub, Interrogation I, 1981
Ivan Albright, And Man Created God in His Own Image, 1930-31. Collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Francisco Goya, from The Disasters of War series, Plate 39: Grande hazaña! Con muertos! (A heroic feat! With dead men!), 1810-1820.
My first reaction to Sue Coe’s work was that it reminded me of Francisco Goya because of the high contrast in both their works and the subject matter. Goya’s pieces always seen to have a dark subject matter, which Sue Coe’s piece on the blog post definitely has. Goya’s work also has a darker section in general, but there always appears to be some sort of light source that he captures. I see this somewhat in Sue Coe’s piece. Leon Golub's painting has the opposite effect to me. Though the subject matter is still gruesome, his color palette is less dark and serious, rather it's more colorful and has what I consider cheerful colors, except for possibly that red. The red he uses reminds me of like butchered meat.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to put my name! ~Melissa
DeleteFirst, Francisco Goya's piece shows a variety of line quality, texture and composition. This piece, although displays many elements of representation is also very abstract. It also resembles the surrealist movement, salvador dali's pieces in particular. Parts of the drawing like the center cross hatching shading is an interesting input. I feel it helps balance the composition and add abstract qualities to the image.
ReplyDelete-Matt McGill
This piece is incredibly rich with content/symbolism. The title alone alerts us to the point that the sexual abuse of women is seen as a colassal joke in our society. It's immediately fascinating that the men all look like animals or masked, frightening figures (drawing an immediate connection to Picasso), and the woman is frail and practically skinned, staring directly at the viewer with intense yellowed eyes. Another interesting moment in the piece is when we notice that the lamp hanging from the ceiling--a symbol usually of illumination/revelation, warmth, goodness, hope, etc.--is represented here emitting a violent, blood-red color and looks like an explosion of sharp pieces rather than a shower of warm light. This is easily connected to the sign around the drinking man's neck "I'm blind help me to see," in that all we expect illumination from here just seems to have been veiled with blood. The whole room has a very dark mood (despite the excellent range of values) and definitely excites a discomfort in the viewer. Remembering to view art as "a meagre stand-in for the real thing" somehow seems to deepen the profondity of it for me, especially in cases like this one.
ReplyDeleteAs for Leon Golub's piece, I like the commentary Melissa made on the "cheerful colors" vs. "butchered meat" color of the hanging body. It's interesting because the two colors next to each other in this context create a high contrast not only in color theorist terms but also in the sense of a disturbing emotional range. The hanging body becomes even more repulsive next to the everything-seems-pleasant green.
-Shelby
Horror in 20th century art world! As written in the article by Thomas Michelli, from Hypoallergic, Sue Coe seems to create artwork only with a 100 lb sledgehammer. I agree that there is a majority of "mass consent" in the quiet attitudes of polite society, but as a purely visual experience Coe's work is too on the nose, too up front. Perhaps this is the automated mechanism in me as raised in western culture, but there is something to be said about an easing into broaching incendiary issues. What I admire is that she does not sugar coat the subject. Where we would see mass ad campaigns for PETA with the bodacious nude celebrities, which seem to serve as popular seductions, Coe drives the nail straight through the toe in order to make her point. Although visually repulsive, I have to admire the boldness of the subject matter.
ReplyDeleteGolub's and Albright's works are more appealing. No text is necessary to convey the message. The composition and techniques are enough to evoke the appropriate disgust. Perhaps like in Goya's dark days of the inquisition and French invasion, maybe the only way to be heard is to carry a big stick and megaphone, and ditch the niceties of polite culture.
-Max
Sues work is very horrifying and I like the way she painted the men as skeletal figures it makes the viewer more intent with the work and view more intensly what Sue meant by her painting.Goya's piece has a variety of line and sketch and is similiar to Sue's work by the gruesome of the figures, as the head is hanging on the branch and the body parts are torn apart.
ReplyDelete-Deb Sousa
Art is a form of expression, these following paintings clearly show a different angle and interpretation on a particular subject either shining light on the topic or degrading it. Noneless these works are always present in modern society and will always be as long as the human existence cease to continue.
ReplyDeleteSue’s painting emulates a strong message, it’s subject matter is basically a metaphor for today’s society. The fact that there were twenty witness just watching the scene without any hint to help or take action for the unethical acts that were being committed, shows what the world has become. The message of the painting must have been very sacred to the artist, being a female there is a huge change of perspective and understanding of incidents like these because it constantly happens, yet society fails to acknowledge it or even believe it.
As for the rest of the work, they all contain a message or create awareness for a topic that is most likely dear to them.
~Tsultrim Tenzin
"The Interrogation" appears to be very flat yet counters that with an immense amount of detail on the bodies of the men, especially the soldiers. I like the use of small detailed strokes that was used like in the hair of the guard on the right. Very little volume but it is challenged.
ReplyDelete-Greg
Sue Coe’s painting is gruesome to say the least. All of the main characters are depicted in some social suffrage or anti-social vice. The subject is reprehensible and the art work is dark with deformed sinister looking characters. The work of art is not meant for discussion at a Sunday social which is actually the point. Rape is a subject delegated to sub-nominal social discussion. Rape is not discussed openly in society and in our male dominated authority it is still the women’s responsibility to prove she has been violated. In this painting, I’m not sure is male authority or abuse and anti-social behavior is the primary message. In either case the work is definitely about humans suffering.
ReplyDeleteThe painting's hues are cold and intentionally gritty. The use of vivid scarlet focuses your attention to the main subject of the painting. The modeling gives the work an illustrative aspect almost cartoonish. Something you would see in an adults only magazine or comic book.
-Ken
All of the above represent human torture and violation at different situation and context.
ReplyDeleteFrom violation in social situation to War.
These artist have best represented these violation, to give the public a visual. The grim green hue is used in the first two to evoke the viewers emotions of fear and anger over the violation.
Goya has represented the Spanish war in his paintings. The acromatic representation is devoid of color. The headless corpse and tortured humans, evokes emotions of fear and sympathy.
They have all done a great job to evoke public response to these abuse and violations.