details make the difference

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Crenshaw

Mary Crenshaw

Michael Newman

April 1, 2011

Details Make the Difference

Both Philip Taaffe and Betty Woodman are artists whose work involves using imagery

from history, science, and diverse cultures. Taaffe has been considered an important painter for

over three decades. Woodman, now 80, has in recent years finally been acknowledged for her

significant contribution to contemporary art. I am interested in bringing to light how both

successfully incorporate their gathered imagery into compelling abstract work and how they

effectively hold our attention. Woodman's After Mexico in Kyoto is a charming and technically

superb color chine collé woodcut done in 1997 (Woodman). Philip Taaffe's Painting with

Diatoms, a mesmerizing example of this artist’s work, is oil and mixed media on canvas and also

from 1997 (Taaffe). These are the two visually engaging pieces I examine that exemplify each

artist's distinct style.

The Woodman color woodcut is a gem and typical of this artist's unique way of working.

It uses the chine collé technique and is printed on Japanese paper. Chine collé is usually used to

print on lightweight papers that need heavier paper as a backing. The gauzy Japanese paper

works as an excellent surface for printing the areas with delicate lines used in Woodman's piece.

The opaque printing ink is uniform and the tones are soft. The size of this work is 27 ¼ x 36 ¼

inches and the cheerful colors are somewhat realistic. Woodman has pictured two of her

graphically painted patterned vase sculptures in the foreground and the pastel colors of the room

could very well be true to life. There is a yellow floor with a wood grain motif that subtly goes to

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a shade of light green. Hokusai and other Japanese printmakers traditionally used this split

fountain method of gradually going from one color to another by applying two colors of ink to

one block, instead of using two separate blocks. This procedure was often used at the top and

bottom of compositions to represent sky or grass, or just simply as an appealing way of blending

colors. There is a pink angling wall with representations of two striped vase sculpture shapes, a

yellow window screen, a panel that could be read as a shelf, with two yellow cups (one with

polka dots) and saucers and a teapot. Apart from the lively patterned vases, the scene appears

luminous, quiet, and restful.

Taaffe's fascinating mixed media oil on canvas work is called Painting with Diatoms and

measures 54x66 inches. Here the artist is representing a microscopic view of the single-celled

diatom alga. There are 12 various symmetrical shapes floating on a dark blue and green

background of splattered and swirled paint. The Prussian blue background is applied loosely in

an opaque wash. The five pentagonal, three triangular, three circular, and single square shapes are

meticulously painted. It is most likely that Taaffe painted them on wafer-thin paper and applied it

to the canvas, a technique he frequently employs. The foreground shapes are also painted in light

washes resembling watercolor. There are tiny white dots symmetrically placed throughout. For

all of its simplicity, this painting is mesmerizing because we are lured in to look at the minute

details after first taking in the entire composition. Although it is one of the least spectacular of

Taffe's work color-wise, Painting with Diatoms has a quiet yet riveting presence.

Critics have frequently said that Betty Woodman's work gives the viewer a good feeling

(Loos). This work has that effect on the spectator, but not because it is a pretty picture that is easy

to look at. On the contrary, it is because she sets up a challenge of spatial ambiguity that draws us

in and holds our attention. Taaffe does this as well in Painting with Diatoms by using minute

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This work is highly reminiscent of Matisse, who often represented his sculptures in paintings.

The vases in the print are obviously Mexican-inspired, as evidenced by the title. Primary colors

and sharp contrasts in the shapes resemble patterns found on Mexican fabric and pottery.

Woodman is interested in using history in her work and revisiting it with a fresh, new approach.

The colors morph into shapes and patterns contained in even larger shapes. Taaffe's color is more

loosely applied. He uses the grid whereas Woodman breaks up the space using the rectangle and

diagonal lines. Here Taaffe delves into biology and Abstract Expressionism for subject matter.

He wants to continually surprise and demonstrate the unlimited possibilities painting still has to

offer. Both works make use of contrasting complementary colors placed next to each other for

strong visual impact. The combined imagery of each piece has an Asian feel of simplicity and

attention to design. The contours of the shapes are clean. The minute details each artist provides

holds our interest and keeps us visually engaged. It is surprising that two such different works

can share so many aspects.

Both works were probably done for museum or gallery settings, since each artist exhibits

regularly in New York and the rest of the world. Had Taaffe not included the word diatoms in the

title we would not know that the shapes are not purely decorative or imagined. Based on the

subject matter and title Woodman’s work appears to be an installation, possibly in a gallery space

in Kyoto. The artist did visit Kyoto, but I could not find a record of any exhibition she had there

around 1997.

In a conversation with poet and author Robert Creely, Taaffe describes himself as no

longer residing in one specific culture and looking to ancient Sumer, Greece, Elizabethan

England, and the Mayas for artistic inspiration (Creely). Woodman is also interested in various

civilizations and is not timid about helping herself to art history. As mentioned earlier, Matisse

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has influenced her not only in the use of subject matter but also color choices and composition in

this particular piece. In Painting with Diatoms Taaffe is also looking at the history of painting.

The all-over flat surface echoes Abstract Expressionism, more specifically Pollock. Taaffe's

personal style is evident in the twists of the added shapes that float on top of the field. After one

examines these two pieces it is evident that introducing elements from other artists and

movements as painting resources adds, rather than detracts, from the cultural value of an artwork.

It is attention to these characteristics and minute detail introduced in the composition that is the

most common shared element in Taaffe and Woodman’s art. It is refreshing to see interesting

and innovative artists from different generations using painterly techniques that are based on

traditional methods. This proves that there is plenty of room for making new discoveries in

contemporary painting without resorting to flashy and showy tactics.

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Fig.1. Woodman, Betty After Mexico in Kyoto, 1997 Chine Collé Woodcut on Paper (Woodman)

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Fig.2 Taaffe, Philip, Paint with Diatoms, 1997, Oil and Mixed Media on Canvas (Taaffe)

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Works Cited

Creely, Robert, Robert Creely and Philip Taaffe in Conversation, Robert Creely, 1999, Web.

10 March. 2011

Loos, Ted Yes, They're Clay but Don't Dare Call Them Ceramics, NY Times.com, N.p, 23 April.

2006.Web. 9 March 2011

Taaffe, Philip. Painting with Diatoms. 1997. (whereabouts unknown). Philip Taaffe

Info.com.Web. 10 March. 2011

Woodman, Betty. After Mexico in Kyoto, 1997. ( whereabouts unknown). Sharksink.com.Web.

10 March. 2011

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