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Exploded
Essay
James Van Der Zee. Couple in Raccoon Coats, 1932.
© 1997.
All rights reserved by Donna Van Der Zee.
"Pictures" Question: Identify the formal element of line in
this work. How does it work to create meaning or experience? What do you
think this meaning or experience could be?
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open a pop-up commentary on the previous sentence of the sample essay.
Sample Essay Begins Here:
Line, an element
of composition, is "the basic building block of a visual design",
according to our book and the photograph is a good illustration of this
idea.
One aspect of line is outline and another is when it is used as a boundary
between different colors or shapes. A third aspect of line is when it
is implied. Lines are also either curved or straight. Artists like van
der Zee can use line as a tool to direct our eyes and to give meaning
and unity to their art work.
In this photograph James Van Der Zee uses all these kinds of lines to
create meaning.
There are many different types of lines
in this work.Some
of the lines in "Couple in Raccoon Coats" are outlines,
such as the wheels of the car.
Others are created by boundaries. Although, there are no colors to
see in this black and white photograph, the borders between light
and dark areas create lines, such as where the shiny trunk and hood
meet the car’s side. The same with the running boards and the
car’s roof. The
treads of the stairs are also created by boundaries instead of outlines.
There are also straight lines in this photograph, such as the stairs,
and curved lines, such as the wheels. It’s hard to see the implied
lines but I think that the whole photograph has a horizontal feel
to it, which might be the result of all the sideways lines of the
car. All the different kinds of line work together to create this
meaningful art work. However,
this implied horizontal line is what gives the photograph it’s
meaning. The strong line has a sense of forward motion, even though
the car is parked. This gives the entire photo, a portrait of a couple
with fur coats and shiny new car, a feeling of energy. These people,
who seem to be very prosperous, are going places!
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