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Ocoee: An Art Critique 1

Ocoee: An Art Critique

Marie L. Jolly

Lakeside High School and the Morris Museum of Art

Impression
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Chaos. My entire initial reaction to the Ocoee can be summed up into this one word.

The people appear as they are crammed next to each other attempting to enjoy the river on a

steamy southern summer day. They are practically as packed as sardines. The chaotic tone

just expands from the canvas for the viewer to observe. The image is at an extreme, one at

total capacity. The image is much thought provoking at first glance. One begins to wonder,

why is this portion of the river so crowded? What is special about this part of the river? Were

all the people’s belongings necessary to bring along? Where was this picture painted? Was it

as the scene unveiled? The questions are endless, and only history can fill in the gaps.

Description

The focus of this painting is evident. The multitude splashed across the canvas pulls

the reader’s attention to the painting’s focus. The lines throughout this painting are harsh.

There are clear distinctions between every object . The other colors are separated by sharp,

jagged changes in direction. The lines in this painting are evidently visible, and even more so

implied around where the colors change or one item overlays another. The majority of shapes

in this painting are very inorganic, as the main depictions are a humans, and the background

contains greenery and a river. There are many main shapes in the painting, such as the

people. These are made prevalent through changes in color. The rest of the painting is rather

blended together with no very obvious and separated shapes. Ocoee contains multiple, rich

colors, used to distinguish between different items in the painting. The volatile blues of the

Ocoee contrasts firmly with the forest green of the trees and wispy blue of the sky. The tan of

the men’s bodies stand out from the water, and the white splashes of the water evidence the

rapid current. The majority of the colors in the painting are the tans and reds of the pople and

their possessions with the cool and calm greens, blues, and whites in the background. The
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values of the colors in this painting are remarkable. The hurried blue of the water gives off a

feeling the water is overtaken by a sweeping current. The forest greens cast a lightly natural

presence through the painting. The shade of tan changes with every curve of the people’s

bodies. The majority of the colors are rich in value, outstanding in the painting. This painting

has a rough texture. The painting has an especially rough, crude, and edgy protruding feel.

The picture as a whole seems coarse and unblended with a vivacious texture. The space of

this depiction of people engaging in recreation activities next to a river is displayed mainly by

color. The shift in color shows the change from one object to another and bestows the reader

with a feeling of the space in the painting. The physical relationship between the people and

the water seems deep, as if the spicy blue of the water is tearing through the chill nature of

the tan blobs. The painting plays host to no lack of space, as the forest and water stretches on

into the distance. The sky seems open in its space, yet tight. Open, as the clouds are placed

wistfully in the sky as if they have all the room in the world, and tight in that it is filling only

a small portion of the painting.

Ocoee has a sense of unity and wholeness as a painting at first glance. After further

contemplation the background of greenery and sky seems distant from the painting’s central

focus of the people scrambling around the water, yet the sky is still not just a random object

plopped down in the painting with no relation whatsoever. Although the different parts of the

painting are not completely entangled with one another, the painting still presents an overall

picture of unity. The repetition of hot colors, such as tan and red, contribute to a humanistic

feel. The largest contrast in this painting is evident when looking at the hectic activities of the

people in relation to the painting’s serene background. The vibrant blue of the river, which

seems to extend forever, as an endless pit, is very different visually than the crowded huddle

of people. When juxtaposed the painter makes the rich hues of blue and green even more

vibrant. The two colors would not have nearly as large of a visual impact if they were not
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placed directly next to one another on the canvas. The center of interest is clearly the

activities of the people, without a doubt. The balance of this painting is not even. The

majority of focus from the viewer’s eye is directed towards the people in the bottom of the

painting. This balance, or lack thereof, is contributed to by the hot colors in the forefront of

the painting. The sky in the background is not overly visible at first glance either. The visual

elements of this work of art are clearly not equally distributed, nor symmetrical. Movement in

this work is fairly limited. Although all lines do not flow together and are harsh.; this

characteristic lends itself more to a jagged visual texture than to a suggested movement of

objects in the painting. The amount of suggested movement that is present, such as the clouds

in the sky, is not erratic or dynamic, but more of a flowing, predictably tame gesture of

suggestion. However, the addition of people waving their hands about adds a hint of erratic

movement.

Surprise Attack Near Harper’s Ferry is an oil painting on a canvas. This example of

Rosenbaum’s work is both a portrait and water-side scenery.

Interpretation

Ocoee was painted in 1994. In January of 1994 NAFTA, the North American Free

Trade Agreement was established. NAFTA is an agreement signed by the governments of

Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America. It

superseded the Canada – United States Free Trade Agreement between the U.S. and Canada.

In terms of combined purchasing power, as of 2007 the trade bloc is the largest in the world

and second largest by nominal GDP comparison.

On January 8 Valeri Polyakov begins his 437.7 day orbit, eventually setting the world

record for days spent in orbit.


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Ocoee is a prime example of a depiction of a momentous battle in the Civil War. It is

fairly large. This painting was painted during the Reconstruction period after the war. The

painting depicts a harsh reality of war as it is in current generations, “total war”, as coined by

Baron Von Clausewitz, as men are being ambushed in a very rare time of rest and

rejuvenation.

At the time in which this image was created its purpose was to serve as a

remembrance of a war which greatly influenced American life and the future of the nation.

It’s evident this painting is one of great historical significance as it can speak across

generations. The image serves a bit of a different purpose today as it did in the time of

creation, and then it will in the future. When the average American thinks about a Civil War

painting they picture a battlefield with soldiers, guns, artillery, and blood. Surprise Attack

Near Harper’s Ferry is a great reminder that the Civil War never ceased during the years of

its occurrence, whether men were sleeping, bathing, or eating. It proves that not every battle

the troops entered was one they’d had time to ponder mentally beforehand. This image will

serve the purpose of displaying the boundless of battlefiels of the current style of warfare for

ages to come. The historical impact of this depiction of the battle at Harper’s Ferry served as

a record of a battle when originally created, but today and in the future provides a looking

glass into the style of warfare our country experienced during the Civil War and its boundless

effects for the American public.

Judgment

As a waterside portrait created in the Reconstruction I believe this painting ranks

quite highly when compared to others on many different levels. First of all, the subject of this

painting is different from the subject of most portraiture. Surprise Attack Near Harper’s

Ferry is different, even to be noticed just by one glance, in that its subjects are naked male
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soldiers scrambling for their possessions as they are ambushed. Most portraiture was used

only to remember the likeness of a loved one and the meaning of many has faded today,

holding little importance. In contrast, the Surprise Attack Near Harper’s Ferry holds more

significance now than it ever did when originally created, by being useful in showing modern

day citizens what life was like for soldiers during the Civil War. In summary, one a scale of

one to ten, I believe this oil painting is deserving of an eight and three quarters.

Bibliography

American Civil War History Timelines. (n.d.). American Civil War. Retrieved December 5,

2010, from http://americancivilwar.com/

Andrew Jackson - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Retrieved December 6, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Jackson


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Morris Museum of Art. (n.d.). Morris Museum of Art. Retrieved December 5, 2010, from

http://www.themorris.org/ourcollection/mooney-attack.html

Ulysses S. Grant - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Retrieved December 6, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulysses_S._Grant

Wright, R. L. (1981). John Mooney, Artist. Richmond, VA: Virginia Cavalcade.

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