An analysis of Hallelujah
By: Kyndall Villareal, Blake Tiffin, Jason Valentine, Connor Tarrant, Zach Whitehurst, and
Melissa Whitney
This piece was featured in the 2019 juried
show, presented by ArtWorks Gallery. The
artwork we have chosen to analyze is by
artist, Rachel Stanton called Hallelujah. Art
200 as a course has introduced our group
to the world of art, specifically the variety
of art pieces that can be found on campus.
Before Art 200, our group had never been
to the ArtWorks gallery which features
undergraduate and graduate work of
students attending JMU. When walking
around the gallery, there were many different pieces, all using different media. However, our
group was intrigued by the elements of this piece in particular. We wanted to find out more
about the artist, as well as, the way the artist has chosen to create a narrative through the
elements and principles of this work. As a group we delved into examining the work and
analyzing the meaning of Hallelujah.
The reason this piece stood out, in comparison to the others in the gallery, was they way
it portrays depth. Many of us found it very interesting as it’s materials project out into space, yet
the use of hues made the piece appear inverted. From a distance, this appears as a regular
flower, however once coming into view you can begin to interpret the hidden elements within the
painting. The piece appears static and our group struggled to find a story at first glance, but
once we sat down to fully evaluate the individual aspects we began to notice the subtle clues
left by the artist.
Description:
This work is created through the use of oil and acrylic media centered on wood and
canvas. The stacking of the canvas on top of eachother gives the piece a three-dimensional
element that pushes the piece outward. The viewer can notice the various canvas sizes and the
uses of darker hue colors towards the center of the piece adds to the creation of depth. The
artists draws the viewer’s attention directly to the center of the piece by using darker reds. We
can see a shift from lighter pink tones to darker blush tones from the outer to the inner core of
the piece directing our eyes to the center. In addition, the artist intentionally changes the colors
of the edges of the petals from light blue to black. We think that this use of color, specifically the
transition from pastel pink to blush red, represents claims the artist is trying to make about the
world around us.
After looking at the piece for simple elements, we began to make deeper connections.
The composition of the work partially uses a monochromatic color scheme, apart from the slight
uses of blue and black, the artist continuously uses pinks and reds. We interpreted this to claim
something about feminine nature. In some ways, the piece symbolizes female anatomy as the
circular nature of the work creates a radial balance that gives the viewer imagery of a flower
spreading open. In addition, the circular nature could indic...
