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Elements and Principles Museum Report

Title: Neal Harrington, Bootlegger’s Ballad, Delta Oracle-Woodcut with India Ink Washes

Style: Abstract and representational (Magnified and amplified)

Dominant Elements: Shape and Colour

Balance: Asymmetrical

Scale: 32" x 24"

Focal Points/ Area of emphasis: Shades of black and grey, the mythical creature, the

woodcutter.

The Delta Oracle is an art piece that is representational of the artist’s perception

founded on the Greek and Roman mythological beliefs coupled with antecedents of the

American roots type of music. In this painting, Neal Harrington has applied the aspects of

colour and shape to portray the dominant elements that are expressed. The use of the grey and

black colour underlines the curvy lines that engulf the painting to provide an energetic feel of

the atmosphere represented. The curvy line also provides a perspective of the artwork’s

background that brings out the aspects of movement and its effects within it. The entire

painting is a representation of unity within the objects and figures in it. The black colour

expressed in a darker feel provides a highlighting of the mythical creature’s movement from

the fiery ground at the middle just in front of the woodcutter. Additionally, the elements of
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pattern provide the abstract and representational context of the painting’s style as such,

making it seem to be magnified and amplified as the mythical creature moves from within the

fiery middle. The shades of grey in the woodcut offers a vivid contribution to the dreamlike

quality of the painting by strengthening and softening the focus of focal points.

Within the painting Neal has applied the texture feel engraved within the painting to

make emphasis on the movement as seen from the mythical creature. These use of the Indian

ink washes enables the facilitation of the concept of colour and shape in the painting adds to

the light presented, as such intensifying the atmosphere and also amplifies the dramatic feel

identified. Additionally, curvy lines mark the painting boldness and graphic aspects within

the piece’s shape as such reiterating the energic perception and tension that can be noted from

the objects and figures.

The objects in the painting are painted in a vertical piece that is scaled to 32" x 24"

thus, making the dimensions identify with a life size context. The size of this painting makes

the figures standout in an amplified and magnified manner thus making the delta oracle’s

volume high. The life size of the painting, its colour and shape are the various elements that

provide the viewer with an ability to observe its asymmetrical nature. This perspective is

made from the lack of repletion of any of the painting’s aspects as well as the differences in

its parts.

The artist is able to achieve the presentation of the figures within the piece, through a

low value in painting. The mythical creature’s energy and movements can be identified to

arise from the low and high value aspects of the painting. Also, the curvy lines providing the

shape of the image make the abstract nature of the piece and as a result, can be attributed to

the volume in movement of the naked creature. These elements have also provided a

highlighting manner of the painting’s focal points that enable the illustration of the figure’s
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nature within it, for instance, the background in which the mythical figure of the nude woman

is seen to emanate from the fiery middle. Also, they facilitate the identification of the

woodcutters shaken nature from seeing the creature in the foreground.