Takahashi Dojo

Medium: Acrylic Paint

Subject- The artistic problem for this art work was to produce a precisionist painting from the photographs of the architecture we took on Wellington Street. The precisionist painting had to show architecture to be reduced or simplified, demonstrate urban isolation, and mood or atmosphere. Precisionist was characterized for its geometric shapes, smooth surfaces and sharp edges.

Content- In my work I tried to communicate my feeling of the subject of urban isolation which was negative and lonely, and  my positive feelings towards the dojo which was positive and happy. I wanted to express the dojo as good and welcoming since it was a social place for people to meet up and practice what they enjoy together. The other buildings and the street were not social places to make merry so I depicted them as darker and negative since I wanted to express my preference for lively places.

Form- The materials used were acrylic paint, masking tape, large and small chiseled paintbrushes and a tiny detailing brush. The masking tape helped to produce thin and strait lines and sharp edges. The chiseled paintbrushes allowed thinner lines when used sideways. The detailing brush was used to fix and straiten lines and edges and to create the lettering and the wires. Techniques used for the precisionist painting were blending on the canvas to create a smooth surface. The tape allowed smooth surfaces to be blended without painting outside the lines. I used tape to help create the lines on the sides of the dojo in order to keep them strait and thin and with smooth edges. This was done by using two pieces of tape to create a thin gap in between, so that any rough edges or uneven thickness could be peeled away by the tape. Design elements and principles consisted mainly of colour, hue. The warm and bright colours emphasized the dojo in contrast to the dull, dark, and cold colours that surround it.