Butoh Analysis
Growth and progression can be seen in each artist’s works. James and Mark’s growth as artists usually follows a significant event in their life or surroundings. James had created a piece titled Butoh (I.) after graduating college. This piece was one of James’ transitional works, moving away from his previous photorealistic style adopted in art school and moving towards his distinct comic book style achieved in the early 2000s. This piece portrays his very well-defined technique and skill in traditional art, reaching various values in skin tones and clothing. This piece also displays his skill in illustration with thin and bold lines throughout. With the mix of realism and comic book illustration, James was able to achieve a very playful yet
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Although James had formally “retired” from illustration in 2008, this piece really highlights his illustrative style through his use of ink and Photoshop. This artwork conveys a strong message about the war between old and new culture. James uses red in his piece to add a striking visual to his piece, utilizing the contrast between the blue and red as a means of emphasis. The red is used to guide the viewer to the main focus of the piece, the hammer. The hammer symbolizes old tradition, consisting of a Native American totem pole. The statue in the foreground symbolizes modern culture, or even European culture. The statue is broken to show that the old cannot be beat by the new, and modern culture will never triumph. This piece does a very good job in showcasing James’ understanding of conceptual art. Similar to James, Mark uses strong concepts to visually convey his message. Arguably one of Mark Ryden’s most well known pieces, Incarnation (V.), illustrates a woman centered, wearing a dress of meat, surrounded by an almost gloomy backdrop of trees and leaves. The meaning behind the piece is found in the name of the piece itself. The word “incarnation” in Latin translates to “in the meat” [4].The image is intended to be interpreted by the viewer, which is common for many contemporary artists, subjecting the viewer to the mystery that lies behind their own
Although James had formally “retired” from illustration in 2008, this piece really highlights his illustrative style through his use of ink and Photoshop. This artwork conveys a strong message about the war between old and new culture. James uses red in his piece to add a striking visual to his piece, utilizing the contrast between the blue and red as a means of emphasis. The red is used to guide the viewer to the main focus of the piece, the hammer. The hammer symbolizes old tradition, consisting of a Native American totem pole. The statue in the foreground symbolizes modern culture, or even European culture. The statue is broken to show that the old cannot be beat by the new, and modern culture will never triumph. This piece does a very good job in showcasing James’ understanding of conceptual art. Similar to James, Mark uses strong concepts to visually convey his message. Arguably one of Mark Ryden’s most well known pieces, Incarnation (V.), illustrates a woman centered, wearing a dress of meat, surrounded by an almost gloomy backdrop of trees and leaves. The meaning behind the piece is found in the name of the piece itself. The word “incarnation” in Latin translates to “in the meat” [4].The image is intended to be interpreted by the viewer, which is common for many contemporary artists, subjecting the viewer to the mystery that lies behind their own