Philosophy of an abstract painting 'EXCAVATION' by Willem De Kooning and abstract sculpture “Bird Swallowing a Fish” by Henri Gaudier-Brzeska

1. PHILOSOPHY- ABSTRACT PAINTING
-by
Charul Garg
B.Arch 3rd Sem.

2. EXCAVATION
 The painting is the work of
Willem De Kooning and is
entitled Excavation (1950).
 Viewers will
understandably be struck
by the lack of a rice field, a
woman, or anything that
could be a shape of a
person. There are,
however, abstract images
of animals and human
body parts like noses,
eyes, teeth, necks, and
jaws.

3. Rice field

5.  These artists use large and
expressive brushstrokes coupled
with various background textures
to portray an overall mood.
 These techniques define
abstract expressionism.
 It is easy to feel the tension
present in De Kooning's painting,
not only in the line-work itself, but
also in the overall visual
atmosphere they create. It isn't
entirely pleasant and it isn't
meant to be.
 The woman is not there because
the piece is not about her
physically, but about the mental
disillusionment the field workers
feel. Although a human figure is
not directly discernible in the
painting, the human presence is
implied.

6.  this is an odd piece for his visual style.
 It is strangely structured, and while De-
Kooning is known for visually separating
his subject matter into imaginary planes,
there is something else going on here.
 It only seems appropriate that the
overall structure of the painting is
vertically aligned into approximate rows
when the subject matter at hand is a rice
field.
 None of De- Kooning's other works
exhibit the intentional vertical alignment
like we see in Excavation.
 Each individual feels the tension when
they look at this piece, even though they
may not understand why.
 This contention and the extent of
abstraction used by the artist are both
reasons why this work of art has stood
the test of time.

7. ABSTRACT SCULPTURE-

8. “BIRD SWALLOWING A FISH”
By -Henri Gaudier-Brzeska

9.  The sculpture
reflects Gaudier's
fascination with both
animal life and the
mechanistic forms of
the new machine
age. The abstracted
bird and torpedo-like
fish have been read
as symbols of the
war that began in
1914.
 Both the bird and the
fish have been
reduced to their
essential elements.

10. • The thick bulk of the
bird earths a poetically
balanced fish, which
points downwards,
hinged on the beak, tail
upturned; its bold round
eye staring outwards,
quietly forming a
centrepiece.
• The geometry defines
of Gaudier-Brezska’s
conception of ‘planes’,
reducing the curved
surfaces to their basic
components.

11. THANK YOU