Shamen and Apprentice
Many wonder what it is about West Coast Native art that enables it to captivate your attention immediately. A critical comparison of two pieces of art is a great way to investigate this phenomenon. For the purposes of this study, the following comparative subjects will be submitted for consideration. When analyzing a painting, experience has shown that going from general to specific is quite effective. First, an initial impression, or reaction to the paintings is important, as it will effect the views and opinions formulated by the viewer form that point on. Next, a basic analysis of the techniques used by the artist to convey the intended message. As we come to appreciate what has been done to create form in the piece, an interpretation can be made as to what the various forms symbolize.
Comparison will be made between two pieces, “Baptism Mural” and “Shaman and Apprentice”. Both of these paintings do an excellent job of conveying strong emotion. Without much thought you find yourself wondering what it is about these paintings that grabs your attention. Having a closer look at the artistic techniques at work will help one better understand the painting.
As soon as you look at these pieces, you immediately notice a few things. The bold yet simple color scheme used in both works is characteristic of west coast native art. In the “Baptism Mural”, your eyes begin reading the painting from the top left hand corner where you see a face emanating rays of bright red color. These rays of color are set into the background. In the foreground, there are three figures set in meaningful relation to one another. The figures are painted primarily in black, which contrasts nicely with the red beams and white negative space in the background. At this point the viewer is naturally trying to decipher the meaning of the various figures in the painting. In contrast to this paintings abundant usage of white negative space, the other painting “Shaman and Apprentice” is almost entirely filled in with color. “Shaman and Apprentice” completely rejects the usage of geometric and symmetrical shape. The left side of this painting is noticeably heavier, giving off the impression that we should also read this painting left to right. It is immediately apparent to the viewer that this is a picture of two faces looking at one another. Now that the picture has taken recognizable form, a few questions yet remain. At this point, taking a look at the iconography and finding symbolic meaning in the painting will shed some light on the mystery.
“Baptism Mural” depicts a face in the upper right corner looking down with a sense of approval over what is going on in the painting. On the left we have a man adorned in a robe with golden trim. His face is pointing upward, along with one of his arms. In the outstretched arm the man is holding some sort of an artifact, and is pointing it towards the figure of a bird hovering above the scene in the upper left corner. The Bird commands a lot of attention, bold black line, and patches of red and green lead you to believe that this bird has extreme significance to the composition as a whole. It’s mere presence, is not only recognized by the viewer, but also the figures in the painting. They seem to acknowledge the bird with reverence. The third figure in the piece is located in the bottom, center of the page. However notwithstanding the location of this man, his importance is not to be ignored, as the picture somehow seems to revolve around him. He is kneeling in front of the other man, who's hand is placed atop of his head. The kneeling subject has his hands pointing upwards, his head is bowed, and appears to be wearing clothing of perhaps a ceremonial nature . The up turned hands suggest that he is about to receive something important, the bowed head implies reverence and respect. The fact that the other man is placing his hand on his head means that something is being passed on. From the clues that have been gathered thus far, many conclusions can be made about the painting. It is no mystery now that some sort of religious or spiritual ceremony is going on. “Baptism Mural”, in the name alone fills in a major piece of the puzzle. With a basic understanding of what baptism is, it is now as plain as day what is taking place. This is a story of the baptism of Jesus Christ. Jesus is represented as the man kneeling humbly before the man in the robe, John the baptist. His divine authority is shown with golden trim on his robe, and the item contained in his hand. The bird is symbolic of the dove, or presence of the Holy Spirit. Finally the face that looks down over the painting is God the Father, emanating his approval of the baptism of his only begotten Son. It is interesting to note the representation of such a Christian event in a style of art characteristically created by non-Christians. This makes a very loud statement about the way we look at art. We have learned that it is a good idea to remove any preconceived notions or stereotypes before fully being able to understand a work of art.
“Shaman Apprentice” lends itself nicely in comparison to the previous piece. They both deal with subject matter that is spiritual in nature as the titles of the work suggest. However, the meaning of this painting manifests itself in a far more subtle way. The iconography is nowhere near as vivid, all we can make out are two large faces pointing towards each other from either side of the painting. There small amount of negative space between the two faces is one of the only indicators that these figures are even separate individuals. Towards the bottom of the piece, the two figure melt together seamlessly becoming one. As the name of this painting implies, we are looking at a Shaman, and his Apprentice, but which is which? As was mentioned before, this painting is heavier on the left hand side. There is more color and form creating a strong sense of dominance on that side. Each of the two faces have one eye showing as we look at them in profile. Energy, seems to flow between the two, their noses are almost touching, they are so close. Pupils are very small, making the gaze ever more intense. Clearly the Shaman expects implicit focus and concentration from his Apprentice. An effective icon is used in this painting is the extravagant, blue, green, and purple head dress the Shaman wears. This is a very effective way of symbolizing his wisdom and authority.
Due to the amount these two paintings have in common, their relationship is apparent after only a brief comparison. In cases like this it is often best to look at the art, close your mouth and let the images speak for themselves. After coming to understanding of what these paintings represent, an appreciation is soon gained for the techniques employed in this art work. After a work of West Coast Native speaks to you, and tells you its tale, there is a totally unique connection made between you and that painting. It is now no longer a conglomeration of color and line, but an instantaneously recognizable image that you can identify with personally. West coast native art is very good at doing this, thus accounting for it’s popularity and captivating quality.
About the Author:
Tom Feinberg has spent more than 15 years working as a professor at the University of Maine. Now he spends most of his time with his family and shares his experience about dissertations. Tom Feinberg is a right person to ask about writing a dissertation.
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