Cosmic Cities Grand Canyon Of Arizona Essay
Arthur Wesley Dow’s, Cosmic Cities, Grand Canyon of Arizona, highlights his use of gestural marks, combined perspectives, and color to explore the awe inspiring grandeur of this natural landmark. In addition, he uses strong gestural marks combined with straight color application create a sense of emotion and the sublime, while capturing the immensity of the canyon. His composition is large scale and uses long diagonals and short quick strokes to strengthen the rock formations. There is a prominent use of complementary colors that makes everything pop in contrast to his use of less vibrant colors. The colors evoke a sense of wonder and mystery. There is dominant and clear interest in light reflecting on the rock formations. All of these element
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together create a balanced composition that portrays the Grand Canyon as an infinite and personable place.
This painting is oil on canvas which has an already textured surface and allows one to see the artist’s hand more clearly. Dow used numerous quick gestural marks of color side by side and in several spots did not blend them together at all. The marks layered and in a scattering of areas there are meager clumps of paint that were never evened out. However, there is a sense of order to these marks as if to create a pattern, not only of mark but also repeated shapes. These marks and patterns give nature a structure to follow thus evoking the ideas of the sublime. He uses soft and hard lines to achieve a balance between the natural formations. Dow relied on hard contour lines to makes the canyon peaks pop against the shadows of the receding peaks. The soft lines make up the remaining part of the rock structures. There is a sense of movement in the layering of marks horizontally and vertically. Dow is searching for a way to understand the undefinable ways of the cosmos.
Compositionally, this painting deals with multiple perspectives.
One can see his interest in light and reflection through his use of blues to create the many shadows. Dow uses atmospheric perspective heavily throughout the top third of the painting. This helps enhance and further the illusion of depth. The middle and foreground have weight to them and are relatively realistic in rendering. However, the background loses its form and rather becomes somewhat abstracted and more about color. There is only the impression of the remaining canyon. The lines of the rock formations lead the eye diagonally across the entirety of the canvas towards the foreground. The most contrast is found between the foreground and the background, and this reinforces the sense of depth. Therefore, the immensity of the canyon pushes the idea of awe.
The uttermost unifying piece of this artwork is the color. The use of atmospheric perspective relies on the color palette. It heightens the ephemeral quality of light and nature because it is constantly changing. The blues and purples are subtle and encompass the majority of the canvas. The blues are minutely changed and layered against one another. Dow’s color palette is made up of only complimentary colors that strengthen the contrast and reinforce the inspiring nature of light and form. Greens and reds are prominent in the foreground and appear grid like giving each level of rock
significance.
together create a balanced composition that portrays the Grand Canyon as an infinite and personable place.
This painting is oil on canvas which has an already textured surface and allows one to see the artist’s hand more clearly. Dow used numerous quick gestural marks of color side by side and in several spots did not blend them together at all. The marks layered and in a scattering of areas there are meager clumps of paint that were never evened out. However, there is a sense of order to these marks as if to create a pattern, not only of mark but also repeated shapes. These marks and patterns give nature a structure to follow thus evoking the ideas of the sublime. He uses soft and hard lines to achieve a balance between the natural formations. Dow relied on hard contour lines to makes the canyon peaks pop against the shadows of the receding peaks. The soft lines make up the remaining part of the rock structures. There is a sense of movement in the layering of marks horizontally and vertically. Dow is searching for a way to understand the undefinable ways of the cosmos.
Compositionally, this painting deals with multiple perspectives.
One can see his interest in light and reflection through his use of blues to create the many shadows. Dow uses atmospheric perspective heavily throughout the top third of the painting. This helps enhance and further the illusion of depth. The middle and foreground have weight to them and are relatively realistic in rendering. However, the background loses its form and rather becomes somewhat abstracted and more about color. There is only the impression of the remaining canyon. The lines of the rock formations lead the eye diagonally across the entirety of the canvas towards the foreground. The most contrast is found between the foreground and the background, and this reinforces the sense of depth. Therefore, the immensity of the canyon pushes the idea of awe.
The uttermost unifying piece of this artwork is the color. The use of atmospheric perspective relies on the color palette. It heightens the ephemeral quality of light and nature because it is constantly changing. The blues and purples are subtle and encompass the majority of the canvas. The blues are minutely changed and layered against one another. Dow’s color palette is made up of only complimentary colors that strengthen the contrast and reinforce the inspiring nature of light and form. Greens and reds are prominent in the foreground and appear grid like giving each level of rock
significance.