Red

The red was something none of them could contain. ~ E.J. Koh

Apr 09, 2023

red wool, chair, solo exhibition: Between Us Gana Art Center/Gana Art Nineone, Seoul, South Korea

photos by Lee Dongyeop

“Between Us” is installed across the second floor of the Gana Art Center, which measures about 300 square meters (3,229 square feet). Kim Sun-hee said, “Each chair stands for an individual, but when the chairs are put together, their meaning becomes more complex. Through this work, the artist talks about an individual who once occupied a place and then disappears.”

See

These artists took advantage of the power of red in their works. Look for the strength in each piece. How do they make you feel?

Le Rhinocéros 1999 - 2000, Xavier Veilhan

With this sculpture, Xavier Veilhan aims to create a strong visual impact.Le Rhinocéros fascinates the viewer by creating tension between the subject - (a prehistoric animal with rough skin) and the presentation (the red color and smooth, shiny material resembling the body of a luxury car.) (Centrepompidou.fr)

On the Giavera Road during the Bombing, 1918, Giulio Aristide Sartorio

Study this painting closely. What are the possible meanings of the red doors? What function do they offer in the composition?

Light Red Over Dark Red, Mark Rothko

Rothko composed his color field abstractions to express a different mood for every work. (Belles Artes) What mood does this reveal to you?

Uncertain Journey, Chiharu Shiota

Uncertain Journey, 2019, metal frame and red wool installation, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan

Photo: Sunhi Mang

Shiota became profoundly aware of her mortality after learning that her cancer had returned after 12 years in remission, making her realize how intimately connected life and death were. The creative process is far from therapeutic for her; she needs her fear to continue making art. Why is red an excellent color for this piece? (Forbes)

Say

Red seems like the easiest of colors to respond to. It is profoundly connected to our rudimentary understanding of mortality. The red of the blood that accompanies both birth and death signals an alarm in our brains. It calls us to attention and energizes us naturally.

Imagine the reds in the works of art were replaced with another color like yellow or blue. How might the meaning of each of the artworks change in your eyes?
What do the colors of the women’s dresses symbolize in The Dance of Life?
The Dance of Life, 1899 by Edvard Munch

Do

Read about Red! Learn about Symbolism, Common Uses, etc.
Sketchbook Challenge: Play around with red colored pencils or paint!
- Gradient scales. How many values can you make?
  - Create a gradient scale of tints of red by adding white.
  - Create a second scale, producing shades of red by adding black.
  - Notice your favorite.

About Chiharu Shiota

Born in Osaka, Japan (1972), Chihuru Shiota lives and works in Berlin.

Chiharu Shiota is a Japanese performance and installation artist. Educated in Japan, Australia, and Germany, Shiota interweaves materiality and the psychic perception of the space to explore ideas around the body and flesh, personal narratives that engage with memory, territory, and alienation.

Confronting fundamental human concerns such as life, death and relationships, Shiota explores human existence throughout various dimensions by creating an existence in the absence either in her large-scale thread installations that include a variety of common objects and external memorabilia or through her drawings, sculptures, photography, and videos.