Artist: Guiseppe Penone

Title: Pelle di Marmo su Spine d'Acacia

Date: 2001

Medium: Carrare marble, Acacia thorns, silk, canvas

Measurements: 10 panels, 39 1/4 x 48 1/2 inches

Each / 157 1/4 x 141 1/4 inches overall

This is a grid work piece, each having a collection of dots that are grouped or isolated. The dots, whether grouped or isolated, create a value buildup and make white areas look gray. The direction of the dots is overall vertical, yet they disperse in the outer tiles and sort of melt downward, gathering dots to make a darker buildup. The shape of the work is organic, or could it be inorganic, (because the dots gave shape) because the white fabric covering the bottom middle part, creating a rectangle. It appears to be a "doorway" and inside is airways; it transfers the dots going from light to dark in similar compositions, a melting motion. Below the white cover is the shadow giving the picture a contrast against the outer tiles that do not produce a shadow. I believe that shadow creates a mysterious balance with the outer tiles because of their dark values. The white reflects the black floor and separates, thus creating an inverse illusion of the artwork. The tiles create a white space, presenting tension values in each tile. In the upper right corner, the dots start to accumulate again. The work is very contained as the wall frames along with the shadow below the white area to keep in place.

Artist: Kehinde Wiley

Title: Passing/Posing #10

Date: 2002

Medium: oil on canvas

Measurements: 60 x 48 inches

The focal point of the artwork is the male figure dressed in light with a bright red in the background. Most of the artwork is dark and surrounds the figure. The light is bending with figure and smooth out into darkness at the bottom. The yellow designs either overlap the figure or designs were behind it. At the lighter area, the yellow designs are cut-off, as if the more brightness the less of the design you see. The figure's head and some upper body parts are free of the designs because of the light. The shadows give them more depth as it penetrates the figure and its design's proximity also creates a darker effect. The artwork is framed with vignettes, and also outside of the frame, where the contrast of it is lighter than the vignette on the artwork, creates another frame. Therefore, the artwork is contained. The lights and shadows are manipulated. For this picture is simple alone, the shadows and lighting creates a dramatic, attention-grabbing effect, a sense of power and royalty, where royalties and nobleman had pictures painted of themselves then. The modern kings were rappers replicating old famous kings, noblemen, and warlords in well-known works of art. They were considered to be the royalties of the hip/hop culture.

Artist: Kara Walker

Title: African/American

Date: 1998

Medium: linocut

Measurements: 46 x 60 1/2 in. (116.8 x 153.7 cm)

The composition of the cutout appears to be horizontal, and gravitating her body towards the lower left corner of the infinite white background. The body is forced diagonally in that said direction. The silhouette is a woman, an African-American woman who is most likely a new slave because of her attire being scantily clad showing the silhouette of a breast. The trinkets and ethnic jewelry is another indication of her racial background. The title of the work is the overall point of the picture; "African/American" instead of 'African-American'. This has a deeper meaning as to why the silhouette is an African woman, who is kind of energetic and content, as seen on the expression of the silhouette. But she is descending, almost like throwing herself downward. It could signify that she is becoming less and less African out of the denominator of becoming American as the generation of African-Americans continues.

Artist: Basquait, Jean-Michel

Date: 1983

Medium: acrylic and oil stick on canvas, triptych

Measurements: 96 x 75 in

The oil painting produces the use of negative and positive space by its congruent rectangles surrounding the image and creating a white space for isolated proximity. Artist utilizes grouping of 5 (blue, yellow, red, white and peach) colors that stands out from the black background with ambiguous figures of human appendages and there designated names. It's a gestalt work and contained in each black background. It's like a motif where each unit differs or is similar, like the last unit with the blue overpowering the black on the right. The elements are different but still hold the same idea or theme.

Artist: Alexander Liberman

Title: Alberto Giacometti

Date: 1951

Medium: Gelatin silver print

Measurements: 11" x 14" or smaller