Art Analysis
This is a Mark Maggiori painting titled "Little Sheep". Painted in Arizona and finished in 2023 this piece depicts Navajo cowboys In the heart of Monument Valley Arizona, a place that is iconic among Western films. I am extremely fond of painting for many reasons, but mostly because of how thought-provoking and seemingly spiritual the piece is. The composition of this painting with the dominating shadow cast across the ridge is exciting, along with the strong linear diagonal element of the ridge that creates a sense of dynamic movement in the piece.
The painting breaks the rule of thirds by placing the prominent white-horsed cowboy extremely low on the canvas. This creates tension between the foreground line and the bottom of the canvas, making the viewer spend more time on the horse. To balance this the moon mimics the placement of the horse but on the top of the canvas. this placement of the moon along with the similarity in color and value harbors an almost spiritual connection between the rider and the moon and is to me one of the most thought-provoking elements of the entire piece. This seems to be where the majority of the interest is in the painting, between the relationship of the riders and the moon. They both have slightly cooler tones that make it seem like the rider is being illuminated by the moon when compared to the warm lighting cast by the setting sun in the surroundings of the painting. coming from Judeo-Christian origins this to me is indicative of God, calling to mind scriptural references like Ephesians 5:8 "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord" (Bible Gateway).
The positioning of the rider to the right and behind the white horse adds to the narrative possibilities of the painting as well. The rider is looking back at the illuminated cowboy from the shadows, seemingly telling him to let go of the day, this interaction between the riders illuminates many different possibilities in the narrative that makes this painting so fun to analyze.
If I was able to own this piece I have have it simply framed and hung in a living room above a couch. this way visitors could admire it on their way to relax on the couch, and it would be facing towards the main working part of the house, this would allow its presence to be felt from multiple areas. There is a poem backstory to this piece that is truly beautiful, it goes as follows.
"in the crimson land where silence speaks
Under the blaze of the nomad sun
Shadows turns to portals on ancient rocks
Whisper of the desert wind caressing the sand
Carrying secrets of the People (Dîné)
Through the doors of perception, the chant of the mothers and fathers echoes in the womb
As the shadows lay taller than our souls
Conveying the pass of time
We let our gaze drifting to the dark
To rest and calm our tormented minds" (Maggiori)
-Dibé Yázhi
works cited;
“Bible Gateway Passage: Ephesians 5:8-10 - New International Version.” Bible Gateway, www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+5%3A8-10&version=NIV. Accessed 1 Feb. 2024.
Maggiori, Mark. “Mark Maggiori on Instagram: ‘In the Crimson Land” Instagram, www.instagram.com/markmaggiori/p/CzsAUpzu73K/?img_index=4. Accessed 1 Feb. 2024.
Hello Fin,
ReplyDeleteAt first glance, this painting on my computer screen looked more like a photograph than a painting! I like that it is more realistic, and I love the texture that is achieved in the clouds.
You mention that the shadow is exciting and the placement of the horse makes the viewer spend more time on the horse. I find that for me, the darkness of the shadow provokes a feeling of nervousness, and I find it difficult to focus on other aspects. Nonetheless, I appreciate the context you provided, and it is an amazing work.
Good evening, Fin.
ReplyDeleteThis painting caught my attention right away. I love sunsets, and this painting depicts the person on the horse out strolling during the sunset. I love how vast the land is and how enormous the peak range is in this painting. The beauty of this land on a hot summer night and the cloud perfectly painted. Growing up in Alaska, you can tell when it is hot or cold just by looking at the clouds. Alternatively, you can tell if it is windy when the clouds are long and stretched. I also like the warm hues of the clouds, which also tell me the sun is setting. The positive space of the man is also so tiny compared to the negative space of the land, or vice versa.
I too thought this was a photograph when I first opened up your blog. One would venture to say that the reason the artist placed the horse and moon where they did was to emphasize how vast and larger-than-life Monument Valley truly is. To me, it brings my focus to how small we are actually in the natural world.
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