Ernest Newman Jr.
Prof. Grix
Art Appreciation
4/23/11

Analysis of Dylan James Art “Nomadic” They say art is the way the artist perceives how the world is or its issues and that we are to understand it as they want us to. In most cases that’s true but sometimes, in some art it puts you in your own little dream world. That work of art makes you forget all that’s going around you and you immerse yourself into the art, or should I say dreamland. To me when I really like a work of art I have to connect to it, I must feel the connection they are trying to make but also create my own. Once the art pulls me in that’s when it becomes my dreamland and brings about a certain peace that only art can do. This analysis will discuss the different mediums, purpose and personal perception on what makes it my dreamland.

The first thing you recognize in a painting is the medium. This piece was a little tricky because it seemed to be a mixture of water color and impasto. Since that is never or rarely done I’ve come to the conclusion its kind of a lite impasto. The work of art was done it looks like on paper but its not the paper that brings this work out, it’s the use of the oil paint. Dylan James made this piece, “Nomadic” by drawing a family of three with an unusual but simply brilliant impasto technique. He draws the borders of the figures thick so you would know that they are figures and how they look but shades in the bodies kind of lightly and puts the family in a hierarchic scale. You can also tell that the mother seems to be as if he is pregnant, which somehow adds just a little more to the painting. He stuck with a couple of simple smooth colors instead of having a bunch of bright colors going everywhere making it look like the artist kind of lost his mind or is following Mr. Brainwash. The figures look so simple and skinny bringing his idea of nomads to life. You can really envision them walking around with their sacks packed and nothing but the wind on their backs. The way Dylan James drew the nomads is what really draws the viewer in, it defines the purpose. They are shaded through with thick smooth wavy lines but also long wavy lines leaving their body. The wavy, translucent lines leaving their body makes it almost seem as if they were people made of the essence of the wind, walking from one place to the next. The ground is done in a simple, normally ground color way, except where the nomads walk there are deep lines going from their feet into the bottom of the painting doing a little shadow trick or deep lines descending deep into the ground as if they were one with mother earth. I believe his intent was to make you see what his version of a nomad was, which was sort a person of nature. When you look into this picture not only do the medium and nifty colors catch my eye but as you stare deeper you fall into a dreamland where it’s like you’re in the painting. That’s the key to true art to me, it pulls me into this peaceful sort of dream to where you feel connected to the painting. Whether Dylan was trying to just be simple and draw some simplistic nomads or whether he had a deeper meaning, I feel as if I understand them both. The technique and colors used really complemented his vision in a way that it couldn’t have happened any other way. Everybody perception of art is different, we all don’t get the same messages or feel the same. Although all good art does have the same affect, it makes a person feel good. When you see that piece of art that you just have to have on your wall or just love looking at it, it brings you to another place, away from the worries around you. The technique Dylan used were simple and it wasn’t a very big painting but its always the little things that catches a person’s eye, and I must say he caught mine.