‘Persimmons and silk’ was printed in 1997 by Cressida Campbell, an Australian artist born in Sydney 1960. This piece of artwork is a woodblock print, drawn directly onto a plywood block using a linear drawing technique and is …cm x …cm. The theme of this print is a still life composed of flowers and fruit on a silk tablecloth. It is not a symmetrical print; while it is very balanced it is asymmetrical in design. In the left foreground there is a bowl of persimmons and the flowers are in the middle ground. The viewpoint is so close up there seems to be no background. When the viewer looks at this piece of artwork they almost feel as if they are standing right above the table. There is also a sense that it is slightly Japanese in the use of colours and setout, and particularly in the pattern of the tablecloth.
The main elements of design used in ‘Persimmons and silk’ are shape, colour and line. Campbell has repeated certain shapes in this composition which creates interest and a sense of rhythm. Campbell’s use of colour in the picture is very striking and strong. The viewer’s eye is immediately drawn to the fruit because of their shape colour and size. The orange of the persimmons is complimented by the blue edge of the tablecloth. The fruits aren’t a flat block of orange but they appear 3D because the artist has used different tints to show where the light is hitting the fruits. The artist has made bold use of line, especially in the pattern of the tablecloth, she has a repeated pattern in the tablecloth but not anywhere else. Campbell has effectively used line to create an interesting asymmetrical arrangement; how she has cut off one half of a persimmon, left empty space at the top of the composition and left a strip of blue down the side which make her picture quite dramatic.
Cressida Campbell has used principles of design such as contrast, focal point and balance. Campbell creates contrast in her subject matter as the viewer can see