study in redby
sfaliceComment: I happened across the thread where Jake was talking about this image and you posted a response. I came back to spend some time with this one (far more than I gave it when breezing through the voting process, I'm afraid).
So here's my take on this.
I see two forms "facing" each other. The one on the left is plain red (more or less) with little variation. It presents itself with little disclosure or identity beyond its shape and color.
The interesting one on the right is positioned so that it is doing the same thing to the one on the left -- that is, if I were looking over the back side of the left shape and viewing the one on the right I would see the same plain, curved, red shape with little else to distinguish.
But because the photo allows me to view these two "facing" shapes from behind the one on the right I can see the obverse side, the inside of the curved form. And here all the distinctives can be seen...the white-winged shape, the yellow form, and the red-mottled variations not visible from the "facing" side. Because the red edges are all turned in a concave manner, it's as if I am looking at the internal workings of the outwardly plain red shape, and peering into the inner reality of the shape itself.
The "a-hah" moment comes when I realize that the shape on the left side is probably doing the same thing, and that it too has more to offer than meets the eye. I am left wondering if the inner workings of the left shape are just like those that I can see within the one on the right (so that both objects are essentially the same) or whether they are substantially different inside so that the outward similar appearances disguise inherently different objects.
The parallel, of course, is the tendency of people to hold their inner thoughts and personalities from view, letting the world see only the outward appearance of themselves...even when in close proximity and "facing" each other. This masks the inner reality of each person to the extent that the inner person is carefully safeguarded from view.
Given my reaction to this photograph, I would say your definition of abstract art is met hands down. This image, upon reflection, within the context of what abstract art seeks to do deserves a better response than I gave it the first time around (which is to say, no comment at all)...and likewise a higher score.
Message edited by author 2014-10-04 04:08:44. 
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