Three Dimensional Artwork Review

July 19, 2015

The two three-dimensional works of art I’ve chosen to describe their form and explain how the medium relates to the meaning of each piece are Black Face and Arm Unit by Ben Jones, 1971 (Sayre 113), and Coffin Orange, in the Shape of a Cocoa Pod, by Kane Kwei (Teshi Tribe, Ghana, Africa), c. 1970 (Sayre 7). These sculptures are created using different processes but both forms give expressive qualities to their work.

Ben Jones’s art work (Sayre, 113), depicts 24 individually plastered shaped masks and arms in two straight rows evenly spaced. The top row consist of 12 life sized masks and directly underneath each mask is a full-shaped arm. The medium is acrylic on plaster. Plaster is very versatile, and Jones plastered his arms and face using modeling bandage as most cast are constructed today. The process of soaking and modeling is a tactile and additive process in creating the artwork, by being very hands on and adding strip by strip to complete each cast. The cast are each decorated individually in many different colors and patterns. These patterns resemble African body-paint traditions. Body painting is used in African societies to symbolized social status and religious beliefs. I believe these sculptures represent the body as a vessel for creativity. Some of the masks eyes appear to be open while some others are closed, perhaps suggesting life and death. Each arm displayed is in a different twist and angel giving each piece an individual emotion through the placement of the fingers, wrist and elbow. Some fingers are stretched open, twisted, curved and relaxed. The use of bright colors and distinct patterns also bring life and rhythm to each piece. The artworks overall is even and fixed, as the repetition of shapes brings the work together. This artwork represents Jones identifying with African art as part of his heritage. This work shows me a different culture and how lines and colors also relate to my culture.

In Kane Kwei’s sculpture (Sayre, 7), you see a large bright orange coffin in the shape of a cocoa pod attached to a miniature wooden tree with small green and orange cocoa pods hanging from the stubs. The medium is polychrome wood, acrylic paint and cloth. Polychrome means painting and decorating a statue, vase, or mural in many different colors. Kwei’s carved coffins and pieced the wooden blocks together, rather than one single piece of wood. The coffin is then painted with acrylic paint, a hinged lid, upholstered interior, including a mattress and pillow (http://www.culturebase.net/artist.php?153). The wood carving is a subtractive process, as it required a chisel for the removal of wood in order to detail the particular shape of a cocoa pod. You can see the detailed lines of the cocoa pods, although not realistically sized Kwei was popular for carving representational coffins in the shapes of one’s trade or status. I believe a coffin represents the passing of a life onto another life. Yet through the work of Kwei it possesses