THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF DUMB DESIGN IDEAS The Three Striper!

THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF DUMB DESIGN IDEAS

The Three Striper!

The discovery of a group of Dutch painting hidden behind a large Louise Nevelson assemblage that was removed for fumigation by a major American museum, has provided an opportunity for me to point out some errors of judgment by a little known painter. The example above is a triple striper design.

The tyro artist was invited to the lakeside cottage of a friend or compliance officer. He was told repeatedly what a lovely view of Chancrebristle Lake it had, and that a great painting might be made there with ease!. And indeed, it did have a fine view, any officer would be proud to have his family there on Holiday! However when our tyro artist completed this painting it contained a grievous fault! Yes, it did indeed.

You see, all of the elements in this painting run from one side of the canvas to the other! Like stripes on a mattress. What could be more static! Our tyro knew he had copied the scene in front of him with the utmost fidelity, yet the painting was not attractive, or valuable. That's because;

He was looking for nouns (in this case, the lake) rather than an arrangement of attractive and valuable shapes that set one another off!

It seems there are many lovely places that may present the tyro artist with unwelcome challenges. How much better if he had eschewed the expected lake view and found a more dynamic arrangement. Perhaps he could have pulled his easel back and obtained a more varied and pleasing foreground, or looked along the receding line of the lakeshore and at the small copse of tender withies arrayed there.