Painting La Espera by Naret

Naret

Applying Feldman's Method of Art Criticism to Naret's Oil Painting "La Espera"

Describe

To describe the contemporary Mexican artist Naret's 1998 oil painting "La Espera" may seem deceptively simple at first. The foreground shows a brightly, almost garishly colored chair in the style of Post-Impressionists like Van Gough or Cezanne. The most distinctive 'touch' of Naret's unique style in the way that the chair is rendered is that its lines are slanting rather than swirling like Van Gough's usual technique, and the chair has a cleaner, clearer appearance -- it is not a blur. The chair is on a surface, painted almost like a gymnasium or nursery-room floor in the primary shades of red and yellow. The wooden surface on which the chair rests seems to be beside a water pond of lilies, in apparent reference to Monet's famous painting of the flowers, although the palate of the water is much brighter.

Analyze

There is a distinctly unreal quality to the Playschool-like colors and the geometric motif of the chair and the floor, particularly the blue line leading from the foreground to the end of the floor. The more muted greens and blues of the waters and the flowers in the background bring out the brilliant, electric shades of the blue on the chair in the foreground. Where is this chair, the viewer asks? Is it on a boat or flat, brightly colored raft? Is the painting a juxtaposition of two mismatched pieces of scenery in the artist's consciousness?

The arrangement of the chair harkens to Van Gough's portraits of his own room entitled "Bedroom at Arles," the place where Van Gough sought refuge from the competitive Paris art scene ("Post Impressionism," Eye on Art, 2007). The outdoor depiction of the flowers is like works by Monet on the same subject matter. But this part of the painting is not as dependant upon the play of light and shadow, and more dependent upon the use of color like a Post-Impressionist rather than an Impressionist painting.

Interpret

Overall, the painting seems to be a postmodern merging of the two styles of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism. The subject matter makes use of the familiar art subjects of past works of Van Gough and Monet. According to the author's biography on his website, Naret began his graphic career in advertising under his given name of Jose C. Teran in Mexico City. Naret still maintains his career and membership in organizations for advertising professionals. Much like Andy Warhol Naret must have gained and understanding of popular art like advertising in this manner. While not an example of Pop Art, the intense use of color and the pastiche of subject matter (although a pastiche of 'high art' rather than popular culture like Warhol) demonstrates the contemporary nature of the work.

Like the earliest Western artists discussed in Gardner's Art Through the Ages, Naret pays visual homage to the subject of the art 'masters' that have come before him and adopts their subject matter (flowers, simple furniture) to his own style. His biography states he is inspired by the landscapes of his own region of Mexico. This stress upon personal interest in the landscape is Impressionistic, and highlights the difference in purpose between early Western and past Western art. Before the 19th century, art was functional in decoration and worship, and it transmitted the messages of political or ecclesiastical authority. The purpose of art was not to communicate the art's own soul or personal impressions of his or her culture and natural environment like high art today.

Analyzing the interpretation