“Synchromy in Green and Orange”

Stanton Macdonald-Wright (July 8, 1890 – August 22, 1973)
“Synchromy in Green and Orange” 1916 oil on canvas

This piece was in the room of benches and binoculars; I decided to write about this piece because in a room full of so much art my eye kept returning to it. It is a combination of the bright colors and shapes which create a sense of mystery that make this work very interesting to examine. At first glance it appears to be a blur of colors and angular shapes; after focusing on the piece it begins to take form.
After a minute or two of looking at the shapes, a figure appeared to me; he looks like he is sitting with his left leg tucked under and his other knee up. His head is somewhat down and looking off into space; this creates a submissive or reflective feeling. The background is paler and more blurred, which causes the figure to pop forward. Because the work is created from colors shapes of varying blurriness, a certain amount of interpretation is left up to the viewer. After a little research I learned that Standton Macdonald-Wright co-founded the Synchromist movement. It is art which aimed to create emotion with color. Before knowing the definition it was easy to see that this painting was successful because it was the emotion of the colors and shadows which initially drew me to this work.