Descriptive Formal Analysis: Alma’s Ensemble by Dagobert Peche, Essay Example

“Alma’s ensemble”, apparel or furnishing textile has been dated back in 1920. Now in the Museum Education Track, it has been recovered by Mary B. Jackson Fund (2001). This piece of art is done by Dagobert Peche; a famous Austrian born artist who lived from 1887 to 1923. It is made of silk material, which is plain weave and block printed. The pattern and colors highlighted are a pink background while the foreground has blues, green and pink designs. This form of art is wallpaper drawing crafted using brush painting of fairly dark hues.

The patterns are symmetric to the rope in a line at the centre of the drawing which can be visualized as sisal made and is formed spirally by overlapping ropes. The drawing paper is not uniformly bent. It has dark bends that are hidden from light thus form shadows, while the lighted bends have background reflections since the paper is almost translucent. The patterns and colors are balanced though pink is on the background. The drawing to the left and right are also balanced in color and size though the background of the left has not been captured so as to uniformly balance with the drawing.

This drawing has used a vertical axis to highlight length with little emphasis to width. The drawing line has a soft and thin contour on the flowery designs and is jagged and thick contours on the sisal like rope at the centre. There are three grounds on which rest this object, the fore on which are distinct flowery designs, the middle on which is the support rope and the back plaque of drawing paper. The drawn shapes are uniform in size and color schemes. The green color seems to overlap the blue and pink colors.

There is repetition of design of flowers; the shapes are regular and non-geometric and the unified shapes of design. The structural appearance creates are relaxed feeling thus would function in a lounging room. The shadowy appearance may function as cover ups, while the harmony of colors, neither too warm nor too cool, reinforces the luxurious effect. There is an illusionary perspective in the drawing paper which owes to the translucent form; it also captures a natural feeling with the harmony in use of color brings the real perspective as a botanical. Paper space has been actively used in the middle due to the type of object intended and this part being the most lighted therefore eye catching.

The spiral movement of the middle part of the object may indicate growth, for example a growing stem of a flowering plant, the green and blue highlight the leaves and the rounded pink fruits. The vertical inclination indicates a vertical growth of the stem while its leaves and fruits spread horizontal. The block printed silk material may indicate firmness and naturalist nature of the object. The emotional reaction to this object is the inspiration we get from nature and especially botanicals, and as result their effect is that they become part of the lounge pictures. There is the element of growth and vibrancy in the colors of the object. Green especially means young and healthy, the pink will mean fruitful and ripe while blue may be an illumination of green by sun rays. It also brings about originality of artwork which conveys the surrounding environment.

The object may also serve as an architectural design for building decorative systems besides furnishing lounging rooms or resorts. Its form coincides with the fabric symphony and the surroundings. Therefore the work of art may have been adopted from a northern society especially the fruit growing medittarenean region. The presence of fruit may as well indicate the figs and vines used to make wines that serve to relax a person and clear ones mind. There is a unity concept in the object since the inside and the outside rhyme, one being artificial while the other is a natural form of the same concept. There is an added value that the natural adds to modernity.

Function can determine form in many ways. The use of objects for beatification purposes could for instance lead to the use of attractive colors with outstanding backgrounds while the use fro advertisement purposes could entail the use of well organized typography. Functions can also influence the material used since different textures depict different scenarios. The use of objects to illustrate history could entail the use of old and less contrast objects while objects depicting modern functions could have high contrasts with descriptive texts.

The object seems to have been taken from a society where fabrics are appraised. There seems to be some textile works going on in the immediate environment. The society from which this object was taken seems to have been less developed as well. The old fashioned clothes worn from the background and the clarity of the image represent an aspect of old age where development was still in progress. The society seems to value flowers as well and trees are a symbol of beauty. In addition, these society values warm colors and the houses built are of low class.

There is a clear indication that the society from which this object was taken from was undergoing some civilizations evident from the type of raiment’s used from the background as well as the kind of houses being developed.  Agriculture must also be an economic activity going round in the immediate society, a fact which is depicted by the use of flowers and trees. The society must also be a place where art is valued and practiced. The object used seems to have had different intended functions. First, it was meant to be for decorations given its context of immediate use. The context is within a house and it is evident that this is a wall paper which was meant to make a room more attractive. The use of attractive colors and flowers on the object indicated a function to beatify the immediate environment, perhaps to make it more comfortable or appealing to the eyes.

The object was also meant for advertisement purposes which are evident from the textile materials used. The artist must have had an intention to advertise the textile used.  The use garments indicates that the object might have been used to create an image of the local producers which could have added some advertisement value.  The object could have also been used to mark an occasion due to the use of flower graphics of to preserver some memory. May be botanicals that have been extinct with time while the drawing keeps the memory living. The choice of material is for the sake of the object’s durability.  It also displays the choice of classical drawing that was appreciative to botanicals without limiting imagination. This work of art is good and quality artwork in the textile art criteria due to its proper use of color, material texture, and simplistic conveying of message to the viewer by the artist.