Formless - Art

Formless is an abstract piece that provides juxtaposition between two very different figures. One figure that is featured prominent in this piece is a small, dense circle of black, so small in comparison to the other figure that it seems almost like a pinpoint. The other figure in this abstract piece is a freeform, expansive shape made up of widely spaced, thin lines. These two contrasting figures are placed near each other to serve as foils for one another.

The contrast between these two figures is clear. The wildly abstract lines of the larger figure are “formless,” as hinted in the painting’s title. This figure seems without planned shape or form, an abstract, chaotic image that stands in contrast to the small, highly organized circle by its side. This dense circle of color possesses all the qualities that the other figure does not – it has a distinct, recognizable shape, and it has easily discernible boundaries. The contrast between these two figures provides Formless with an interesting sense of competing states of being – organization versus chaos.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Flower Seeds - Art

Flower Seeds uses simple figures and a stark white background to examine the nature of the flower seed as it evolves into plant life. The seeds in this painting are portrayed as red and blue circles with whip-like tails emerging from one end. These whip-like structures represent the emerging plant life. The decision to portray these seeds in red and blue, unnatural colors for plant seeds, which are normally green, yellow, or brown, is an interesting one. Red and blue are primary colors, and the decision to portray these seeds in red and blue is a commentary on the fundamental, primal nature of seeds and their ability to produce life.

The stark white background used in this painting is also significant to note. Instead of placing these seeds in a brown background that represents the soil in which the seeds grow, as one might expect, the artist has chosen a bare, white background for this painting. The stark whiteness of the background indicates that before these seeds, life did not exist. These seeds bring life to a stark, sterile environment, reflecting the power of life to thrive even in hostile environments.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Fields - Art

Fields is an airy painting that gives the impression of open spaces without obstruction or crowding. The lines of this painting are well spaced, providing an open, uncluttered appearance. This openness reflects the view that meets the eye upon stepping into a newly planted field. In any direction, one can only see a vast expanse of growing crops and soil, no trees or buildings rising up on the horizon to block one’s view of the landscape.

The monochromatic, charcoal color scheme chosen for this painting is significant to note. A more obvious color choice for this painting, green is associated with plant life and new growth. Yet the artist has chosen to portray this field in an almost drab, colorless way, without any color to break up the expanse of the field. This decision focuses the viewer’s eye on the expansive qualities of the field rather than its ability to produce and nurture life. The never ending view and flat expanse of the field becomes the focus of Fields, a simple painting that captures the experience of standing in the middle of a seemingly limitless field.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

New World Flower - Art

A simple piece featuring a lone flower as the central focus, New World Flower is an intriguing painting that calls the viewer to contemplate a time in the past that was a significant moment in the history of the world. The new world flower alluded to in the painting’s title is in fact the first flower seen by the Europeans who first set foot in North America. Stepping out onto the newly found land, these men see a single, beautifully strange flower that is unlike any flower that they have ever seen before. This painting brings the viewer into the perspective of the first explorers, and it is a beautiful view of the first flower encountered by these men.

By focusing on a single, distinct feature of the experience of landing on a new continent, this painting gives a clearer, more striking impression of this moment in history than any realistic, expansive landscape could have accomplished. Because it is difficult to capture the enormous significance that this moment had because of its impact on the history of the world, the artist has cleverly boiled this moment down to a single detail – the discovery of a flower not yet seen before. This simple experience of finding a species of plant not yet seen before evokes the childlike wonder that many of the people landing on the newly discovered continent must have had. Discovering a mysterious flower is in many ways an insignificant occurrence, but it embodies the true strangeness of this unknown place

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

One Glides - Art

In One Glides, the elation and physical joy of flight is captured in a monochromatic piece. The figure in the painting glides through the air, its winged shape lifting its weight beyond the grasp of gravity, carried up and up by air currents under its wings. This painting visually depicts the way that an airplane or bird manages to fly, the aerodynamic shape of this figure mirroring the shape of birds of flight and airplanes built by mankind. A kite or hang glider also comes to mind when viewing this piece, its triangular shape a feature of any object or organism intended to fly through the air, carried along by air currents.

The choice of a monochromatic, dark color scheme for this piece is interesting. One might expect a field of blue to represent the sky, or a colorful figure of a kite or a scarlet songbird to represent flight. Yet the artist has chosen to depict flight in black and white, suggesting the essential and fundamental similarity of any and all objects and beings of flight. By making this glider abstract with no particular color, it takes on any shape and any color given to it by the viewer. In this way, One Glides becomes a representation of the abstract nature of flight, rather than the specific object or living thing that has experienced flight.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Over Backwards - Art

In Over Backwards, an abstract, dark figure occupies the central position in the painting. The figure in the painting is very human-like in shape. Though it seems to be bent over in the painting, it appears to be a being who would likely stand erect under normal circumstances. This person seems to be bent “over backwards,” as indicated by the painting’s title. In fact, the painting’s figure is depicted in a very unnatural position, its body bent backwards, as though painfully contorted. The pain revealed by this figure’s position is an indicator of the personal strife and difficulty that can be the result of trying to hard to please someone – often referred to colloquially as “bending over backwards” for someone else’s benefit.

The figure is also quite dark, with gloomy colors that reveal the state of mind of the figure in the painting. These dark colors show the depression that can develop when a person is not true to himself, but rather chooses to conform to the ideals and expectations of others. This choice to obey the will of others is one of the greatest mistakes a person can make, for it is only by staying true to oneself that happiness can be found. Over Backwards is a revelatory painting that illustrates the importance of being true to one’s own wishes and most genuine personal desires.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Evolution Centered - Art

In Evolution Centered, the nature of creation and evolution is examined in broad strokes and bright colors. In this piece, a meandering yellow line moves across the surface of the painting in broad, winding strokes. Arranged in approximate alignment, three dense, orange circles are interspersed between the bends of the broad yellow line. These orange circles become a focal point in this piece, their central position drawing the viewer’s eyes.

The alignment of these orange circles in this painting connotes the slow, linear progression of evolution on our planet. The meandering yellow line represents the passage of time, while the orange circles represent evolutionary stages in a particular species. Evolution occurs in short bursts interspersed in longer periods of less change, a process that is captured skillfully in this painting. Though the yellow lines meander slowly across the page, revealing the passage of many years without significant evolution, the evidence of adaptive changes that indicate that evolution has taken place can be lined up to tell the story of the progression of one species through the process of evolution.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Effort - Art

Effort is a dichromatic piece that uses contrasting colors and strong lines to invoke an emotional response in the viewer. A rosy pink shade stands in stark contrast to a dark, menacing gray background. This contrast produces a dichotomous mood in the painting – the juxtaposition of rosy optimistic with dark, cloudy pessimism. The rosy pink arc of the figure in the painting represents positive thinking and its potential for happiness, while the dark background represents the challenges to optimism that exist in the world.

Yet the pink figure appears to remain strong in the face of these challenges to a positive interpretation of the world. The figure’s lines are strong, and the ribbon of pink is broad and appears substantial. The figure rises with vitality in a triumphant posture. The grayness of the background only serves as a foil to illuminate the bright pink color of the figure; it does nothing to dampen its optimism or power. Effort is an optimistic piece that reveals that, though it takes some effort and hard work, maintaining a positive attitude in the face of adversity is both possible and rewarding.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Cosmic Series almost complete

85 or so paintings in this series.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Fertilization - Art

Fertilization is an intriguing, freeform painting that captures the essence of fertilization and the creation of life. The abstract figure that is the focus of this painting is portrayed in a drab gray shade, as though it is a formless type of matter that can be molded into any type of creation. This shapeless, characteristic- free substance reflects the potential of this form, particularly its potential to grow into an as yet undetermined life form.
The shape of the figure is also important to note. Two segments of gray material appear to be coming into “dock” into two corresponding spaces on the larger figure in this piece. These two segments complete the figure, finalizing the fertilization process and creating a whole being that can now grow into a living organism. This completion, the coming together of the male and female components, or reproductive cells, is the central concern of Fertilization, an interesting, colorful painting that reflects the nature of the fertilization process in living things.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Graved Yards - Art

In Graved Yards, dense, dark clouds of black represent the oppressive and ever-present threat presented by death. Black, a color long associated with death and morning, features prominently in this piece. The black color in this piece is thick and highly saturated, making it a strong force. Death is powerful force in this painting, capable of decimating even the strongest life force. No matter how strong or powerful any living being is, death is the one force that can easily decimate all.

The fear of death is ever-present, just as the darkness fills the landscape of this painting. The certainty that death will come is the one constant piece of knowledge that all human have. In fact, it is this very knowledge of our own mortality that distinguishes mankind from animals. The only species that is aware of our own vulnerability to death, mankind is unique. It is this understanding that elevates mankind both intellectually and spiritually. In this way, the expectation of the grave is truly an essential component of human nature.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

New Visions - Art

New Visions is a vibrantly colorful, abstract piece that captures the essential experience of seeing things anew. The juxtaposition of the beautiful colors in this piece is significant. Shades of cool green are framed in blazing red, and an orange shade is edged in blue. The artist has placed complementary colors together in order to illustrate that the comparison of two opposites can often bring a new understanding of each thing or idea. By placing the cool shades right alongside their opposite warm colors, the vibrancy of each color is enhanced, and these colors seem fresher and more compelling.

Similarly, the juxtaposition of opposites in life can bring about a new understanding of individual items of comparison. A “foil” is the literary term for such an object that, when held up against its opposite, serves to highlight certain features and characteristics of its opposite. A better understanding of both the foil and its opposite is gained by the juxtaposition of the two. Writers have used this technique for centuries, from ancient myths to Shakespeare to contemporary literature. New Visions is the artistic equivalent of this longstanding literary tradition, juxtaposing color so that the viewer will have a better appreciation for each colors unique qualities and vibrancy.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Spoken Word

I have a new inspiration for writing. I have begun working on 2 spoken word pieces. I think I will limit them to two minutes. I will post in a couple of days.

Photography

The photographic series entitled "entrapment" is complete. Will definetly have to do some small adjustments. Thisa is the beginning of a 52 part series

Respect as Currency - Art

In Respect as Currency, a single, dark figure creates a menacing mood in this abstract, monochromatic piece. The “key” depicted in this painting is both frightening and captivating in its power. A key is a symbol of potential, for it unlocks doors that were previously inaccessible. This power can be used for both good and evil, for great and terrible things might lie behind locked doors. The potential of the key depicted in this piece is for both good and evil, giving this image an ambiguous meaning.

The abstract shape of the figure in this painting allows the viewer to interpret the significance of the doors this key might unlock. The warped image of the key suggests that the key might unlock something unusual or strange. This strangeness can be both frightening and exciting. The key comes to represent curiosity about what lies behind the door, yet also fear of the repercussions of freeing unknown dangers. Key is a powerful piece that leads the viewer to contemplate the nature of the unknown and the many emotions it can evoke.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Separated Creation - Art

Separated Creation is a beautiful, affecting piece in a monochromatic color scheme made up of shades of black. This piece depicts the creation act as it occurs. The creative force, represented by the dark, black arm in the painting, drops off each object of creation, which is represented by a black circle. One edge of the black arm is indistinct, to show the breaking away of the created object. The created objects or beings are then deposited into their own private, isolated planes of existence.
In the world of the painting, isolation occurs immediately after creation. Created objects and beings are doomed to isolation from the first moment of creation. This is the painting’s most alarming impression – that we are created separate and alone, deposited into isolated planes of existence that are separated by hard black lines. These hard black lines represent the limiting beliefs that maintain the separation, such as prejudicial beliefs, economic hardship, and other ills of society. From our creation, these barriers maintain a lonely separation.


©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Monarch - Art

In Monarch, the traditional image of a monarch butterfly is abstracted and used as an inspiration for improvisation using simple, elegant lines. As the title indicates, this butterfly is no typical monarch butterfly. Just as consonants in the first syllable of the monarch’s name are inverted in the painting’s title, the image of the butterfly is mildly distorted in its shape. The butterfly’s shape is loose and abstract, its body extended unrealistically past its wings.
The beautiful red color of the butterfly in the painting is vibrant and warm. The warmth of the red butterfly captures the light and energy of the butterfly. This bright color is also an indicative representation of the colorful wings of a monarch butterfly. Yet the painting maintains its abstract qualities, as the butterfly is depicted in an unusual monochromatic color scheme, with no distinction in color being made between the butterfly’s wings and body. Monarch is a playful, abstract piece that gives a beautiful, unique portrayal of a butterfly admired across the world.


©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Birth - Art

In Birth, the creation process is captured in a single, simple figure depicted in a hazy, monochromatic color scheme. The dark haze around the lone egg-shaped figure in the painting represents the chaos from which creation is formed. This haze is formless, a wispy cloud of potential from which matter and life can be built. The chaos surrounding the birth suggested by the painting’s title is an important part of the creation process, for it is the very substance from which the creation is taken.

The figure itself is interesting to consider, its shape similar to an egg, the female reproductive cell for countless species on this planet. It is this familiar shape that the viewer associates with birth and creation. The egg is rife with the potential of a life yet to be born, its curved shape a recognizable symbol of the continuation of life. Birth, a cloudy, almost shapeless piece, gives a strong impression of the nature of the creation process, during which life is formed out of a vague, chaotic haze of potential.


©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Kings Flail - Art

In Kings Flail, the nature of nobility is explored in abstract forms that reveal a king’s essence, if not his naturalistic appearance. The purple color chosen for this piece is very significant, for purple is a color associated with royalty. The purple color of the figure in the piece establishes this painting as a portrait of the king himself. The king is an elevated personage with great influence and privilege. By nature, he is strong and powerful, and the broad strokes used in this figure illustrate the king’s status as sovereign and supreme ruler.

Yet the position of king is not without its problems and concerns. The king is faced with stress, danger, and uncertainty frequently. The painting’s title refers to kings flailing, or expressing difficulty and desperation. Kings face danger of assassination from political rivals, stress related to difficult and important decisions, and other strains. The king’s psyche is aptly captured in Kings Flail, revealing not only his power, but also his vulnerability.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Fathers Surprise - Art

In Fathers Surprise, a well-chosen color scheme and a beautiful, nurturing image of an infant being cradled provides a touching and unique look into the nature of fatherhood. This painting has a rosy pink, monochromatic color scheme that fills the painting to its edges. Swirls of cheery pink wrap around a central figure, the image of a vulnerable infant being cradled in safety. The father is the nurturing source of stability and security in this painting.

The pink color scheme of the painting gives a hint as to the nature of the infant in this piece. Pink, a color traditionally associated with femininity, represents the child’s gender. The “father’s surprise” in this painting is a baby girl, a female being that he is expected to nurture and care for. Fathers Surprise is a beautiful piece with a rosy color scheme that reveals the nature and responsibility of fatherhood.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Fruits of Labor - Art

In Fruits of Labor, clusters of orbs emulate the natural plenty of the harvest. The colorful clusters in this painting represent fruits and vegetables gathered in harvest. In shape, these images most resemble bunches of grapes, yet the diverse colors used to depict these fruits. Shades of green, blue, pink, and red represent the diversity of the harvest and the many varieties of fruits and vegetables that have been cultivation to sustain mankind for centuries.

The vibrancy of the colors in this painting evoke the joy of the harvest, the satisfaction gained by repeating what one sows. The work of planting and caring for the crops is rewarded by the bounty of the harvest. In this way, the fruits of labor are converted to happiness. Fruits of Labor is a joyful, uplifting examination of the joy wrought by good work.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Rage - Art

In Rage, a dense, dark cluster of lines is the central focus, swirling around a central point. This central point is the source of the rage mentioned in the title, and the emotions surrounding this source of rage are represented by the dark, dense lines that encircle the center of the painting. The lines are closely spaced, revolving closely around a central locus, as though held in orbit by a strong gravitational force. The force of gravity pulling on the figure is directly related to the amount of rage present in the center of the image.

The black color of this swirling mass of lines is another indication of the nature of rage. A color typically associated with evil and anger, the deep black of this image reflects the evil and supreme negative power of rage. The dense, swirling mass of blackness shows the dark power of rage, and the painting Rage is quite emotionally compelling.


©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Taming the Snake - Art

In Taming the Snake, a straightforward piece depicting a snake, color and simple lines create a powerful and compelling image. The snake in the piece is full of life and motion, curling and winding upward, its body flexing to the sound of the snake charmer’s music. The snake charmer’s stick is also visible in the painting, and it reaches out to prod the snake in order to control its movement. The snake’s body wraps itself a fairly sizeable floating, solid-colored ball, which is a physical manifestation of the snake charmer’s power over the snake.

The snake is red in color, as is the snake charmer’s stick and the floating ball. The choice of the color red is an interesting one. Red is an aggressive color, connoting power and untamed strength, yet the snake in the painting is completely under the snake charmer’s power. Yet the red color serves to remind the viewer of the wild power that the charmer has harnessed. The snake’s natural aggression remains present under the surface, despite the snake charmer’s ability to captivate the snake. Though the snake has been tamed for now, the snake charmer’s hold in tenuous, and the snake’s natural predatory tendencies remain a part of its nature.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Stelleto - Art

Stelleto is a quirky take on a common, everyday object. This fanciful piece take the image of a woman’s high heeled stiletto shoe and abstracts it, creating a quirky image that grabs the attention. Even the title, with its variant spelling, is clever and original. Just as the title is a variant spelling of the word “stiletto,” so is the image of the shoe somewhat different than a realistic image of the shoe.

The shoe’s pointy heel is broadened substantially. The heel is stronger and sturdier, giving an empowering impression. The shoe itself is only vaguely outlined, its shape general and indistinct. The vibrant red hue of the image gives an impression of heat and energy, a vibrancy that complements the strong, sturdy heel. This painting depicts a stiletto shoe as an empowering object, full of energy and power. By giving this image of a shoe an interesting look and shape, the artist invites the viewer to take a closer look at Stelleto.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Swans - Art

Evoking an extraordinary and eerie mood, Swans is an abstract piece that abstractly depicts the image of birds in flight. As the title suggests, the strange form that is the focus of the painting has arcs and curves suggestive of birds’ wings. The birds in the painting appear to be very graceful, calling to mind the beauty and elegance of swans. Truly, the lines of this painting are quite beautiful, giving a striking representation of a group of birds moving as one.

The choice of such a dark color for this painting is an interesting one. Typically, one thinks of swans as being white in color, their fair color an indicator of their purity and nobility. The swans depicted in this painting, however, are dark in color, which suggests a more sinister nature. Though beautiful, these swans are black, a color associated with evil and death. The beauty of the swans is offset by their eerie and menacing color. Perhaps these swans are harbingers of some terrible news, as birds often represent foreboding and revelations of the future. The birds in Swans are beautiful, yet their menacing nature lends the painting a strange and uncertain mood.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

You Are Here - Art

You Are Here is an evocative painting that is at once playful and foreboding. The title and the focal red dot immediately call to mind informational maps of the type one might find in a shopping mall or an amusement park. On these maps, the red dot represents the viewer’s location in respect to his or her surroundings. In this respect, the painting is a whimsical reinterpretation of a mundane object found in everyday life, a surface meaning instantly recognizable to the viewer.

Yet there is an intriguing undercurrent of danger that belies the painting’s playful choice of subject. The red dot, which represents the viewer, is not placed on an ordinary map, but rather is placed in the landscape of a dark, menacing whirlwind. The surroundings of the red dot, and therefore the viewer, seem ready to engulf the dot at any moment. The dark, swirling lines of the painting appear three-dimensional, as though the red dot is surrounded on all signs, leaving no route for escape. You Are Here is a skillfully created piece that draws upon a recognizable, common object to evoke in a very personal way the ordinarily unseen dangers of the surrounding world.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Eyem Not - Art

Eyem Not is a cleverly titled, quirky piece that features an abstract image of a human eye. The color scheme of this piece is a simple charcoal gray shade, with black tones that are used to create the image of the eye. The eye is shown in a sideways view, the eye’s form abstracted and strikingly unusual. Though the shape of the eye is strange, it is still recognizable upon first viewing. The eye appears to be heavily lidded, the eye visible under a substantial, lined lid.

The eye appears to be looking toward the light, as the painting’s background becomes lighter and brighter in the corner toward which the eye is staring. In the light is the subject of the eye’s contemplation, the object that the eye is looking at. Behind the eye is a swath of black shadow. This shadow stretches across the canvas menacingly, a representation of different things that can cloud one’s vision This cloud threatens to obstruct the eye’s view, yet the eye remains open and forward looking.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Historical Bird - Art

In Historical Bird, the form of a bird in flight is depicted in dark, broad strokes against a barren landscape. Its body an elongated figure that spreads horizontally from end to end, and the figure of the bird becomes distorted. Its natural shape becomes almost unrecognizable, yet the essential nature of its flights is conveyed in the graceful lines of the figure in this painting.

The bird’s strange and distorted appearance reflects its status as “historical bird.” History is not a set of absolute facts and dates, but rather it is a subjective art in which perspective and personal beliefs play a large role. Perceptions of historical events change over time, and the story becomes distorted, just as the image of the bird is in this piece. Historical Bird is uses an abstract shape to portray a single bird in flight, and the nature of the image of this bird provides insight into the realities of historical perspective.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Nature's Ghost - Art

Nature's Ghost uses color in a very interesting way. The painting itself is comprised of a series of interlocking color blocks that take up the entire frame of the painting. There are two long panels of color, one of green, and one of blue. The color saturation of these panels is weaker than elsewhere in the painting. More vibrant color blocks of orange-red, purple, lime green, and brown appear in the painting. A hint of yellow trims one of the painting’s edges. Also, an abstract shape in a warm peach shade is a focal point of the piece.

This abstract shape draws the viewer’s eye and leads one to wonder what it might represent. Its warm, peachy color appears to be almost flesh-toned, as though it might be a human being. The round protrusions that come off of the shape evoke wheels, and the shape takes on a semblance of some type of vehicle. The painting now seems to be a person riding a vehicle that is itself flesh-toned, as though it is an organic part of the human being portrayed. This vehicle- human hybrid moves across a colorful landscape with a patchwork horizon.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Gender as Illusion - Art

Gender as Illusion is very simple, using a monochromatic color scheme and simple lines. Wavy lines move across the painting’s surface, moving unevenly and erratically like the readout of some instrument measuring a changing phenomenon; for example, a heart monitor of a critical patient or seismograph recording an aftershock. In this way, the painting brings out a feeling of panic or crisis in the viewer, as though the danger being recorded might be a current threat.

Yet the lines themselves are drawn in olive green, which is traditionally a color associated with peace. The olive branch has been a symbol of peace for centuries, and the choice of olive green for this piece makes a very direct statement. Emergency situations that create panic are often the most likely unifiers of divided people. Just as disagreeing family members will reconcile over a sick relation, natural disasters bring warring countries together for a common goal. This piece, with its single color and simple lines, makes a profound statement about the nature of human relations.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved