Locate one artwork - Quick thumbnail label everything.
Reference
Yves Tanguy, Mama! Papa is wounded!, 1927, oil on canvas
Thumbnail
This artwork has a flat grey-ish colour(gloomy desert background) along with a bit of blue on top as an exposure of the sky. In the foreground, a strange "shaggy" stick stands bending a bit to the right. Behind it, a big dark cloud looms over. On its lowest section, there are two small-scaled blue clouds. In between these clouds, a T-like letter with rounded corners stands with its shadow.
In the rest of the painting, the repetition of beans floating can be seen, along with their shadows on the surface. One is located on the dark cloud behind the shaggy stick and the other is located bottom midway of the painting. The repetition of grey short-stroke figures can also be perceived with a web-like line connecting them all together. This line then leads to a cactus. On the cactus' side, two strange white forms can be detected: one floating and the other lying down. Above the cactus, three bean-shaped objects are attached while hovering in the sky.
Two strange objects stand next to each other on the far rear side of the painting: one is a white squiggly line and the other is shaped like the top part of a cotton bud. If you take a closer at the white squiggly object, little particles can be seen flying away from it.
Explain how subversion is demonstrated in this artwork's subject.
'Several interpretations of the painting were made and some of it made references to the violence of First World War and highlighted the scary and anxiety mood. The Papa was represented by the standing figure of yellow color while the Mama was represented by the cactus. The child of the Mama and Papa was represented by the amorphous mass.'
- According to the quote I have used above, there were many interpretations of the painting, some of which alluded to the violence of the First World War. The objects that were used represents family members - Cactus(mother), Yellow figure(father), and amorphous figurine(child). From my own understanding, subversion is demonstrated through the representation of the objects undermining the effect of war on families - their separation. This explains why all the subjects used in the painting are separated in an unidentified way.
Giorgio de Chirico, The Mystery, and Melancholy of a street, 1914, oil on canvas (Private Collection)
Explain how subversion is demonstrated in the space and paint application used by De Chirico. The narrow space in the painting shows subversion to feature the girl running in the bright light. The bold colours used in this piece illustrate the two divided zones: the lightness from the left side and the darkness from the right—to highlight the idea he's trying to express.
What similarities can you list between Tawhiao and De Chirico's work?
One of the similarities between Tawhiao and De Chirico's work is the use of grids. However, De Chirico's grid is less visible and he combines it with the use of perspective. Another similarity between the two artists is the use of certain figures to emphasize their ideas. Tawhiao uses patterns whereas De Chirico uses statues and other unique things.