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PEHDTSCKJMBA β Pollution
Published: 2012-07-07 02:54:10 +0000 UTC; Views: 40147; Favourites: 3377; Downloads: 0
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Gel pens, sharpie, watercolour, tea, ink, pastel, blah, blah.Related content
Comments: 240
You're gorgeously eloquent.
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I feel truly humbled when a stumble upon (I say stumble upon, but I'm introduced to a lot of good artists through watching Jane-Beata, who critiqued one of your other pieces) an art piece that is so moving. So humbled I am that I even write a critique for that artist e.deviantart.net/emoticons/let⦠" width="15" height="15" alt="
I'm going to start with the obvious and talk about those eyes. Damn, those eyes! They portray a sense of sadness and a brokenness (like the person is somewhat ill or unwell, physically or psychologically). But most distinctively (yet subtly), a sense of panic. The colouring; the pale greyness certainly spells this sadness out very clearly indeed but this time I am not drawn to your work by the colour (which I very much was to the other pieces of yours in your gallery) but rather by the... I don't know... reflections (?) in the eye. I'm particularly staring at the left eye. The stark white RIGHT underneath the pupil and the equally striking reflection of light on the top part of the pupil gives a rather panicked expression. This is in contrast to the shadows created by the hood and socket of the eye, which then creates this saddened/broken expression of panic which I so love. My eye then moves across the image to the right eye. I look at this one in isolation and I feel not panic but a rather a... begging. A pleading look. The white in this eye is not so stark (and located at the left side of the pupil rather than underneath) and nor is there such an obvious reflection of light in the pupil. The blood-shot redness on the whites are also an effective detail. The over all impact of the eyes are striking.
There are no clear signs of "wrinkles" around the eyes which makes me think that the subject is young. Maybe even a child. Yet the eyes are so deeply and strongly set (emphasised by the shadows in the lids); this contrast creates a more powerful impact. When we see children with such seriousness, such sadness, brokenness and panic, it tugs on a certain heart string (doesn't it?)
This mess that coves the mouth and part of the nose is effective too. The colours - the brown and the green and the red. Classic. "pollution" indeed and you have pulled off very well something that could have so easily become a "cliche."
The balance (in this case non balance) in the composition is also effective; the bottom half is "heavy' with pollution. The viewer can certainly feel this weight. In contrast to the nothingness in the top half, it drives home the message you are trying to convey (about pollution and what it is doing to our beloved home and planet, our children) very clearly.
You have a distinctive style. And a genuinely good grasp of your material too. I cannot fault your technique, proportions or whatever, even though this may well be because I am so in awe of the emotions you have managed to stir within me.
Thank you indeed for sharing this. It is quite the experience to be able to see it and write about it in this way.
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Thank-you, means so much.
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Thank you 
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The effect of pollution is depicted in an original way in this work and overall captures the essence of the harmful nature of pollution that it is seeking, but is kind of lacking at the same time.
I like the emphasis of the red around the eyes and nose, showcasing the negative impact of pollution, and grey eyes that are both clear and beautiful and sad and reflective of smog in the sky, as represented by the eyes' position above the disordered heap of pollution below. And between the eyes, where a slim nose looks like it should go - there is nothing - except for a painfully red looking left nostril and the faint grey indication of the right nostril and the rest of the nose.
The lack of a clearly defined nose is major because whereas with a defined nose, the brown putrid, decaying... ink below the nose could have been seen as a rotting, stifling mask over the mouth, without the clearly defined nose, the painting is more difficult to relate to and less definite and more abstract than it maybe should be.
The nose should have been focus, along with the eyes. Without it, I keep looking from the eyes to the watercolours and tea and the nose would be the perfect addition to this piece to encourage viewers to focus on the humanity of the painting, rather than the abstractness of it, although that is a strong point of this painting that should be considered as well.
Paint drips that look like they were cut from the image to make it more square are sorely missed in this painting. Obviously, all paintings have borders, but the way the paint drips were so abruptly cut from the image is frustrating. The drips could have helped convey the oozing nature of the pollution - something the ink blobs and splashes in the painting do not do.
The colours in the brown blob are an excellent choice and the fluidity with which they are blended and displayed on their own is well done, as are the black ink lines.
All it needs is a few watercolour lines to define the nose and more of the tea and watercolour drips that got cut off at the bottom.
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The colors and technique exhibited in this are very good. I love how you rendered the eyes and the hint of the nose. The lines and colors in the more abstract bit of the piece are great too.
However, I don't get any emotional impact from this piece. I'm sure that the distortion of the figure's jaw/mouth area means something (most likely having do do with the name of the piece, perhaps it signifies the distortion of a once pure being or something, I don't know), but it's hard to tell what exactly you were trying to convey. I also find it a bit pretentious, to be honest.
Lastly, I have seen pieces like this many times before. If you were influenced by Agnes Cecile's work, I can definitely tell. If you were not, I apologize for sounding like a jerk just then. x_x; it seems there have been quite a few pieces in a similar style getting popular lately, but not all of them are made with the same degree of technical skill as this one.
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I love how it all come together, the message is strong and the cause is just. I I like how it looks like smoke she is breathing in because of the nose placed just about the main attention grabber. This is a very chic and modern sort of portrayal of humanity although I will say it lacks in depth and originality. Over all a beautiful painting but not very thought invoking nor controversial. Your technique is well used and I noticed how there were lines connecting to the main area, large things have small beginnings and this is a good way of stating that your small acts that you think won't effect anything are in fact the main source of the horror of our sad existence.
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First of all, I love the concept. Showing how pollution affects humanity by actually using the human face... Wow. And the emotion conveyed in the eyes... I think that the skill of the whole picture resonates from there. I see sadness, I see a kind of forlorn regret that just solidifies the impact of the whole idea. So.
I like how the coloring hints to erosion and covering of the face, or "Earth", especially what I assume is the nose.
I've seen and heard of ideas like this one, yes, but I think it's how well you executed this one that makes it such a gem. I'd love to see follow-ups of the same abstract interpretation, because I'm sure you only get better and better. Speaking of which, I think I'll hit up your gallery now. Needless to say, I'm both impressed and "impacted."
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Thank-you for the critique!
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You're welcome.
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wow. the colours are beautiful the way you put them together, and the eyes are so deep...full of misery and regret...like he/she is looking on the world today, sad and regretful of how they treated it. i dpnt quite like the black in it, it would be improved by erasing a few, but the overall effect is stunning. I like the way it sort of builds up in the middle, makin it look like a rubbish pile, or dripping dirt and sewage. this is very intimidating. I like the reds and greens you used. the shades are good, and they contrast with a good balance. good job.
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Thank-you very much for the critique.
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Oh. Β The mind in the dark corruption of the world. Β Mournful.
Nice. Β Very thoughtful.
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Dear Catherine,
I just completed a fictional novel that deals with the subject of the human disconnect in the modern age of capitalism, materialism and industrialism. I searched thousands of pics, came across yours and found that no other image more beautifully captures the sentiment of my story than your painting. I'm contacting you now to kindly ask you if you would be willing to allow me to use it for the cover art of my book. I can send you the novel in its entirety, along with a proof of what the finished cover would look. If you agree to let me use this image, I would of course fully accredit you in the preface of the book. My email address is: robertmiljan75@gmail.com. Please send me an email and I'll reply with a copy of the book.Β
I hope to hear from you!
Kind regards,
Robert
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I really feel like you can see a sort of deep sadness in the eyes. The dark, grimy colors do spell out pollution, but they also remind me of decay, like a zombie. Lovely job.
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I have no idea why, but this painting almost makes me cry. It's stunning, and so much emotion can be felt through it.
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You're welcome.
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The eyes are the windows to the soul and in this painting they express so much... Thought provoking and mesmerising... xox
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Thank-you 
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Absolutely incredible - Keep up the amazing work.
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Your beautiful artwork was featured in my journal
You can take a look here : [link]
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Digg the drips!! plus the lines & and the translucent aspect of it (watercolour effect). It also seems to be a metaphor for the pollution in our words since the chaos of colours are placed in the mouth area!
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This reminds me of Walking Dead somehow, I guess it is because of it's mouth popped out haha
Wonderful work!
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Thanks for getting pissed off at your work - and still sharing it.
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Hey kiddo, I had a look at the original that you left downstairs. It is great to be Papi and see your actual work, but this scan turned out great.
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