Appraisal of Tom Chambers Springs Landfall

Describe:  In this art piece a blindfolded girl rows her boat through dry grass fields. Her boat is full of colourful flowers yet the landscape is fairly barren. Seagulls fly over head which suggests the sea must be nearby or they are just as lost as she is. Also, the sky is overcast and dark storm clouds are approaching. The girl is rowing the boat with not oars but sticks and dust flies out from behind as she rows over the mound as water does when rowing over a wave in the sea. If one were to look closely at the bottom of the boat, one would see an anchor that is embedded in the soil and vines. This image seems surreal and out of place.  


Analyse: There is a strong sense of Juxtaposition in this piece. It is seen in the flowers in the boat compared to the dry landscape, the rowing boat on land and the blindfold she wears when she would need to be relying on her sight to row. The girl rowing blindfolded suggests she is oblivious to the world around her and going blindly through life. Also contrasting colours enhance the juxtaposition in this piece, the girls bright dress and colourful flowers - the dull colours in the field and sky. The focal point is obvious through use of strong tonal contrast and use of space. There is movement in the piece mainly coming from the  oars and the birds flying. There is also a sense of balance in the piece but not harmony as the objects in the piece are out of place and strange. The expected place of a rowing boat is in the water not in a field. This makes the art piece seem confusing and difficult. Also, this piece seems surreal as the girl in the rowing boat is so out of place, as are the seagulls. Even the fact that she is wearing a long dress, not the attire you would expect one would wear rowing, this suggests she is lost. 

Interpret: Tom Chambers is trying to create a surreal image that creates a confusing and bizarre image. He uses juxtaposition to give express this as well as strong tonal contrast. There is strong juxtaposition through the mix of reality and fantasy. The blindfolded girl, the rowing boat and bright flowers are out of place which suggest she is in her own fantasy world, whereas the landscape is the harshness of reality around her. She refuses to accept reality but instead lives in her own beautiful world away from others (hence rowing through a field in comparison to water). Yet she is anchored to the ground and at a stand still, trying to row will not get her anywhere. Also, a storm is approaching and she is about to find herself in trouble. This at piece is of a girl at a standstill in her life as she will not accept reality but contents herself to be in her own beautiful world. 


Evaluate: I find this piece of work hard to confusing but it communicates it message quite clearly. I like it for its surreal and unrealistic qualities. I pick up lost and alienated feelings from this art piece. I find it is almost shocking as it seems unreal to see a blindfolded girl rowing aimlessly on land. Her refusal to move on but row without purpose or direction is very strange and she is completely out of place and about to approach a storm of problems.