Frank Hyder, Essay Example

60″H x 48″W, mixed media on canvas

Frank Hyder is an award winning artist. He uses a variety of media in his work as well as explores a variety of themes and subject matter. His exhibitions not only span the globe but are a regular on the collectors to do list. He has done several solo exhibitions in museums like the Carnegie Museum in California, the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Caracas Sofia Imber (MACCSI) in Venezuela, and the National Museum of Catholic Art and History in New York. His work is collected by the likes of Ontario Museum of Art, Library of Congress and by numerous private and corporate collectors.(Hyder,2006)

I have chosen to look at a work from his latest Fish series that has been exhibited widely. Frank Hyder’s work is representational in nature. More specifically the fish series is expressionist in nature. This is due to the fact that the fishes are not a literal representation of the object. Though the discerning eye will immediately associate them with Japanese Koi fish. It is a twist in the depiction of fish in a physical world. There is a unique balance between the seen and unseen aspect of nature. It is a twist in the depiction of fish in a physical world. His work is expressionist in nature due to the emotional response that one feels when one sees the work for the first time. He employs several visual elements in so that the perception created by the work hits the viewer straight away when you look at the works form. He has a very effective use of color, lines and space. (Chandler, 2001)

Color is the first thing that strikes you when you view this piece for the first time. It is fascinating to note that what he did was he used primary colors for the center fish. No two colors can be mixed in order to create a primary color. That said and though obvious. What isn’t, is that he then diffuses his color pallet in to the next set of fish around the central one. The next colors on the fish are all secondary. This is made by mixing two or more primary colors. It as though the center fish is the parent or origin of the other fish in its immediate periphery. So we find a lot of orange, green and violet. At the very edges we find tertiary colors the turquois, ochre and grey. (Mitchell, 1994)

We can also observe the values and intensity of the colors change from the center moving out to the periphery. The colors change from being very intense at the center to the color values going down as they go to the periphery. The color hues also change. We see intense sky blue in the central fish then at the edges it is more indigo and dark blue. The same is true for the reds we see it go from a crimson red to a darker red. There is also dullness. All the fish have triadic colors on them. On the color wheel we find they are all complimentary to each other. When juxtaposed against other fish we see they are opposites.

His use of line gives the viewer two things first motion, direction and finally boundary of form. He combines Lines formed by Edges as well as Linear Forms. This is in order to create distinction as well as a sense of motion. The background is where the greatest intensity of lines is seen. It is very reminiscent of Japanese gardens as well as Bridget Riley. (Mitchell, 1994)The swirling lines give one a sense of movement. It could be representational of water. The lines enhance the sense of movement of the fish as though they are actually swimming. By placing the opposing lines of the fish and the grey background it creates an emotional optical movement that is more in the mind’s eye than in the eye.

Frank Hyder’s use of space is very interesting. He lets the fish overlap all seen from an aerial perspective. The objects are place in such a way the spaces are used to draw the viewer in different directions. The space also creates a feeling it’s a snap shot of a time a place in a space.

The painting is enhanced with how he has used principles of design in his work. The elements of harmony, and dominance, come out most strongly in his work. The harmony is best seen in how he has used color in his work. The harmony is more felt than seen. The use of lines and the feeling of movement make one feel calm. There is also illicit the emotion of nostalgia as a viewer. Have you ever looked at fish in a pond especially koi fish?

This series is a thematic representation focusing on the most important problem of our time which is the environment and humanity. The destruction of the environment, the decline of aboriginal species and peoples. The imminent extinction of several species on the planet(Mitchell, 1994). It seems the artist was influenced by the raging debate over the environment. The time he did this series is in congruence with the debates that were going on in the USA between the republicans and the democrats over the Kyoto protocols. It is no accident that his fish resemble the Koi fish of Japan. The focal point of the debate, between nations at the UN conference in Kyoto Japan . (Mitchell, 1994) The Bush administration refused to ratify the protocol.

I chose this work because I feel passionate about the environment. What is scaring me is that today all the wars going on are about resources. That still translates to the environment. I believe that if we are to live in harmony with nature then everything will be okay. The harmony and the sublime nature of this painting expresses that very feeling I have when I look at the world and where it is going to . The title of the series does give one a hint of what the work is about but seeing the work is when one understands. Thus my insistence it is not only representational it is expressionist. The theme of the fish is also emblematic of Christianity which its most enduring quality is love.

References

Mitchell, W, Picture Theory, University of Chicago Press, , 1994.

Chandler, D, “ Semiotics for Beginners: Modality and Representation, 2001.” Web. 8 April 2012

Frank Hyder “Fish series” Frank Hyder Web. 8 April 2012