HOW DIF F E RE NT ARTISTS USE LINE S IN ORDE R TO MATE RIALISE E MOTIONS.

(AN E XP LORATION OF TH E THE

VIOLE NCE )

COMP E RATIVE STUDY

INTRODUCTION
The Great Wave off
Kanagawa by Hokusai
This study seeks to compare how
Dimensions: 26:38
different artists such as Hokusai,
Edvard Munch and Jean David Nkot Medium: Ink,
made use of lines in order to convey or woodblock print
trigger feelings and emotions towards Year : 1829-1833
the audience. A line is a geometrical
figure commonly used in Math but also
is an everyday common object and can
be seen everywhere, anyhow and in
different forms depending on the A life of Illusions by
context at hand. In art, it portrays The Scream by Edvard Jean David Nkot
movement, structure and shape but Munch
Dimensions: 160:140
more importantly could set or create Expressionism
moods which may create some feelings Medium: Acrylic
Medium: Oil, tempera, posca and Chinese ink
or emotions towards the audience. By pastel and crayon on
using lines, artists create abstract and cardboard Year : 2019
at the same time expressive emotions,
Year : 1893
by using subtle elements to amplify
what they feel.
 Analysis of formal qualities

Th e lin es in h er e a r e m ost ly wa vy, T

deform ed a n d gh ost ica l or sm oky.
Cr ea t in g wh a t a lr eady looks like a
co
deform ed r ealit y, illusive ba ckgr ou n d
T
a n d foca l point . As t ense a n d
h or r ipu lin g a s it seem s, it cr eat es an
u n welcom in g a ur a s a n d t h em es like ki
t er r or or t r a u m a. ad
ta
sh
Th e point of em ph asis ser ves a s a m
decoy t o t h e ar r a n gemen t of t he
ba ckgr ou nd. i.e. t h e br idge get s
va
n a r r ower a s t h e pa in t ing en ds, as fe
it is a fir st poin t .

Function and Purpose

Edvard munch’s The scream function was to understand human The medium use
condition and share to all, what anxiety (the mostly dominating scream has had
emotion in the painting) looks like, all going from a personal but for this vers
rendered the ou
experience, munch decreed « we all scream » bringing us to its
triggering a fee
Description and Evaluation of Cultural Significance and Context

The Scream is the artwork of a Norwegian artist, made during the

Dark and post periods of the late 18’s; a period when everyone
fought their own battles be it together or individually. The painting
subtlety represented also the modern periods and how the time was
during that period.

Munch was just walking on a bridge but the scenery of the

environment caught his eye and this was the first trigger of this
work. This goes to show how natural and instinctive this popular
work today was. This, pushes the audience to ask themselves, were
days always like that during that period when expressionism was
flourishing more beautiful than ever? The Scream, was a product of
art which symbolized more than just depression, or anxiety but just
as well the period in which he felt all those devastating emotions,
which we should be sure had touched more people, other than him.
The time in which it was created is just as significant as it is a
major contribution to what makes the scream today. The cultural
significance of this artwork covers a board hard time
 Analysis of formal qualities

For this artwork he seemed to have captured a The use of colors with different shades of
variety of waves in movement, which, as the the color blue and white to match up the
work shows engulfed and crashed boats in a present and majestic harmony of the
predictable manner; giving the impression of nature, a combination of the waves and
the vigor of the storm-like weather
a sea disaster or a catastrophe. The movement
Hokusai represented with the wave seems a
big realistic.
 Function and Purpose

The medium used here is ink and it is a woodblock printed

painting.

The technique used here is a very well known one in Japan,

Hokusai’s illustration of the great wave was not called the « Ukiyo-e ». It is a work of art which signifies the
just to let us only see the imposing charisma of the horrors of hurricanes, the vigor of tsunamis and the disasters of
waves. Its function was to illustrate, through a depiction plane crashes into the sea. « The Monster Sea » it is called.
of a marine art; what man can and should reconsider as a It is said that Hokusai actually made it in the aftermath of the
result of structural abstraction of man’s knowledge. The horrific 2011 earthquake and Tsunami just to remind us of how
wave represented here the imposing power of nature and the power of nature outstands and ridiculously ravishes or
the harbor which we face, and the act of crushing swallows that of man. Although it’s a wave, it hides a mountain,
violently the boat, represents how unpredictable life is. the snow-capped Mount Fuji- the highest peak in Japan.
The main themes here, represented by movement is
power. Morality nowadays and during the postmodern
ones, was and is still ignored even though reality still
keeps us down when it can. Apart from that, we tend to
ignore basic fundamentals, or the basic things we should
take note of- in fear of losing our morals. Hokusai
represented here in a Japanese cultural context.
Description and Evaluation of Cultural Significance and Context

The Great Wave off the Kanagawa is -as of date-one of the greatest artworks in
all Japan

A website on Hokusai’s analogy of the great wave off kanagawa stated that
‘‘The wave in the foreground and Mount Fuji in the background are symbols
chosen not only to provide a perspective effect, a European-style technique he
had adapted in a very inventive way, but also to represent the unpredictability
of life” (Hokusai, n.d.). Mount Fuji, on the other hand, ‘‘signifies stillness and
eternity; it is the symbol of Japan and, as a sacred object of worship, holds a
significant place in Japanese beliefs” (Hokusai, n.d.).

During the end of the 16th century, Japan had consistently separated itself
with western affairs and western continents, however, the great wave off
kanagawa is still a work demanded by a great number of people from that part
of the world and is also known worldwide.
 Analysis of formal qualities

The lines in here are mostly either

The techniques used here is unknown to
1 straight and curvy, the stiffness of the
none as his works, are very recognizable
lines contouring the trees creates a
balanced « ambiance » and the unity of due to the way he displays them.i.e., a
the stiff and wavy lines we can perceive background mapped into different areas
in the artwork creates harmony plus the of the world. Here, the use of lines and
other elements on the artwork creates a shapes are very prominent as he displays
calm atmosphere them in such a way that the man is
emphasized by the dazzling and
undulating lines. Lines which carry
homes, lands, countries, oceans etc. his
work is an assemble of what he usually
2 portrays that is human condition.

He puts forward his eyes, by the color of

his skin or even by the way he is
nonchalantly almost tiredly leaning on
3 the wall. On him bare the clothes of work
a worker outfit that usually electricity
workers who are not wellpaid.

Process of work. For this work, he must

have as usual captured a series of
mappingsareas of the world to do his
work
I darkened the resolution of
images each reducing either
the luminosity or contrast in
order to be able to see the
lines and shapes properly
 Function and Purpose

A life of illusions is an artwork which depicts sorrow

behind this hides Jean David’s intentions which is to
create the image or paint the imagery of pain
following the themes of trans-African migration. But
in this case, it is to denounce the government’s
ignorance face to what itspopulation is enduring.
Which brings us to the theme of violence
psychological violence, which is a long-lasting type of
violence, mainly the deprivation of man’s basic needs.
And David uses this opportunity to address his
government; to let them see what their people are
enduring but to no avail.
Multiple of his works have the same purpose, they are
created in order to strike a specific audience about a
specific issue. They aren’t flashy nor meant to corner
those specific multiple audiences; rather, he indirectly
condemns a part of the society he thinks needs to be a
call for concern.
Description and Evaluation of Cultural Significance and Context

A life of illusion is a portrayal of man’s sufferance but not only based

on its culture of origin but also can be associated to the western
culture, the Latina, east Asian and more. As it naturally expresses
something anyone passed through as a relatable subject that is
systematic oppression of workers by the society, states, or non-state
actors. Jean David has made this through the contemporary period;
the 21st century, the generation of youthtargets as his audience
knowing that there are anywhere youths who feel oppressed by the
African society or state. In a world where money is more or less
equal to power and. Everyone wants to have it, the Gap between
the rich and the poor has been increasing drastically thereby making
the rich richer and the poor poorer. Individuals depends on the
scrubs they are paid with even if it isn’t much. Depending on this, the
society indiscriminately give lesser pay to the workers. Jean David
Nkot artworks sort of act as mediators in order to establish
communication amongst the targeted audience, to pass across his
information.
 Composition of the line: Straight, elongated, figures painted through
slimbrushstrokes with different bright colors mainly: Red, blue, yellow,
green, white, black and orange.

The deformed lines are complementarily associates – as in the color

wheel – yellow mustard and deep blue, red and green everything
concurs

Emotions displayed: Several figures as bright as each displays struggle,

by the way they are scattered around and voluptuousness, deformed
lines curved or straight creates movement – a busy era -
Composition of the lines: Wavy – fluid lines across the
background and around the focal point are painted in
single stroke – a free hand- compose of lighter and
darker areas to create value as shade, composed of
complementary colors orange/orange mustard and
dark blue using on a rough and edgy surface area. Composition of the lines: Curly- in movement (In a single direction) lines moves as
Emotions conveyed: Deformed lines find themselves smoothly as the surface of the contentual image of the clean ink on paper. The light
ghostly moving aroundthe background creating a depth of the line layers of colour blue and white; blue_which represents the blue of the
trauma era or terrified atmosphere. ocean _ calm but deadly –
The unhuman figure portrays all what anxiety and Emotions conveyed: The curve at which the wave has it’s vertes is so emphasized that
shock cannot describe it creates a lust of superiority and a bitter feeling of power; also, the direction of the
wave surpress danger and panick.
 BIBIOGRAPHY
 Hokusai, K. (n.d.). A Brief History Of 'The Great Wave': Japan's Most Famous Artwork. Culture Trip. Retrieved April 27, 2022, from
https://theculturetrip.com/asia/japan/articles/hokusai-s-great-wave/

 Hokusai, K. (n.d.). A Brief History Of 'The Great Wave': Japan's Most Famous Artwork. Culture Trip. Retrieved April 27, 2022, from
https://theculturetrip.com/asia/japan/articles/hokusai-s-great-wave/


THE EFFECTS OF LINES IN THE ARTWORKS

• The vertical lines represent the stiffness and

sometimes convey stability and balance. A
straight line stays still. It doesn’t fall nor gives the
impression to fall. It staysstronglyonitsfeet

• The curve lines represent non-stability or

movement. Everything curved is bend thereby
sometimes in an artwork can create a feeling of
abrupt movement, which is not always bad and
sometimes it creates sadness as everything, when
bend can’t stay still. In real life, we consider this
kind of action, - bending- to be either a sign of
weakness or an inability to stay straight.

• Wavy lines on their own conveys fluidity and

extra facilitated movement. In an artwork, when
expressed in groups, creates a kind of harmonical
dancing looking like when smoke is escaping
from a window finding its way through air unto
the atmosphere. It is mostly used in surrealism
works as they feel so dreamy and unreal.