My Christmas Thoughts
on Red: By Alexandra Dailey
One color that is constantly on my mind during this time of
year is red. This vibrant primary color
is everywhere; on bows, Christmas tree skirts, ornaments, candy canes,
twinkling lights, candles, holly berries, and Santa’s suit, just to mention a
few. And today while reading the news,
searching for gifts, and looking at art online, I came across a piece that fits
in perfectly with this warm and cheery season. Katherine Parker’s 2010 oil
painting entitled Malta is an all red
canvas with a handful of black and yellow marks scattered over the otherwise
monochromatic surface. Working in the
abstract expressionism vein, this piece of Parker’s, as well as the majority of
her paintings, reminds me of Mark Rothko. The intense use of color in Malta is most definitely reminiscent of
Rothko’s style, as is the presence of horizontality and verticality. At first glance simple is how one could
describe both Parker and Rothko’s work, but upon longer meditation the vibrancy
of their pieces speaks much louder; they possess a powerful simplicity that is
difficult to capture. Seeing the
brushstrokes embedded in the red layers of Malta
shows the viewer that time, concentration, care, and great effort went into
its creation. Simplicity is powerful, and layers of simplicity are even more
impacting. And in my opinion, layers of
red are even more compelling, but perhaps that’s because red is my favorite
color. Overall, I would say that there
is nothing “simple” about these artists or their styles, nor would I say that
Christmas is a “simple” holiday, or red a “simple” color. All of the above are elaborate in their own
right, but when they can be enjoyed via simplicity I believe they can be truly
appreciated.
Since we have almost breached the craziest time of the
season I will leave you with this: Don’t get caught up in the hectic human
orchestrated antics of the holidays, but instead enjoy the simplicity of the
red lights upon your tree, the rosy red cheeks of your loved ones, and perhaps
the warmth of a fiery crimson painting like that of Katherine Parker.
Happy Holidays!
To read additional articles written by Alexandra Dailey,
visit www.alexdailey.wordpress.com
or visit www.contemporaryartgalleryonline.com
to read additional work written by Alexandra and our other fine writers.
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