Reaction to "Back of the Storm"

One Saturday, I visited the Dayton Art Institute for the first time. I greatly enjoyed my time there as I experienced many beautiful and unique pieces of art. It was exciting to observe the artwork with “new eyes,” seeing each piece in perspective of what I have learned in this Introduction to Art class. I was no longer viewing art simply for its beauty or for entertainment, but comprehensively and intellectually. I considered how the medium and materials used affected me as well as the use of visual elements and principles of design. One work that I was particularly drawn to was The Back of the Storm, by April Gornik.

The painting first caught my eye as I stood on the opposite side of the large room, scanning the walls to preview the works I would soon observe in detail. The dramatic scale and high contrast of The Back of the Storm caused me to do a double take. I immediately walked over to this huge picture that took up much of the wall, and observed in detail the medium, materials, formal elements, and style that evoked such a reaction from me.

The Back of the Storm was done with oil paint on canvas in 1985 by April Gornik. The paint seems to be applied very thinly to the canvas. There is no appearance of impasto in this work; in fact, the texture of the painting is relatively smooth. It is evident that Gornik used a very dry brush in some parts of this painting as she pulls the rain down out of the clouds. The materials and the way in which they are used enabled me to focus on the message of the picture and the drama that it portrays.

As I mentioned earlier, the dramatic scale of the painting played a very big role in the effect it had on me. The picture itself is very large: nine and a half feet wide and nearly seven feet tall. The elements within the picture however, are in proportion to each other. The large size of the painting evokes drama and emotion that corresponds with the overall conceptual unity of the work. The style of the painting is very...