AP Art Project

Erica Kleinbaum

Ms. Lang

AP Studio Art 2

4 November 2010

Artist Research Project: Carla Goldberg

“What we as humans perceive is not the true intentions of the Goddesses, for Goddesses do as they please and play with all the elements as mere toys just for their own pleasures...” – Carla Goldberg
Biographical Info:

1.    Carla Goldberg was born in Palm Springs, California.  Goldberg currently resides in Cold Spring, New York. 

2.    Carla Goldberg graduated with honors from the University of Redlands in California with a Studio Art/ Art History degree in 1987.  Goldberg studied under John Nava and John Brownfield.  In 1989, she studied at the Maryland Institute, College of Art and under Babe Shapiro and Salvatore Scarpitta at the Mount Royal Graduate School of Art. 

3.    Carla Goldberg’s primary types of artwork are mixed media paintings with the incorporation of other materials such as glass and ink.  Goldberg’s three dimensional pieces use wood and metal accents. 

4.    Each of Carla Goldberg’s different series use different materials.  Her “Bodice of the Goddess” series utilizes mixed media paintings with watercolor, acrylic and oil.  Goldberg’s “The May Night Maidens” series uses rocks, acrylic and oil paint, mica mineral, ground glass, paper resin and ink.  The three dimensional installations are rooted in ecoartivism or preserving the natural environment. 

5.    The style of Carla Goldberg’s art is contemporary.  Carla Goldberg is an expressionist artist who conveys certain feelings and moods in each one of her series.  Her “Bodice of the Goddess” series articulates folktales from many different cultures and goddesses whose emotions are responsible for the constantly changing waves, sunken ships, and majestic storms that occupy the Hudson River.  Her most recent series, “The May Night Maidens,” is inspired by the writings of Pushkin and Gogol regarding the drowned maidens who echoes her myths throughout the landscape.  Water ghosts, water maidens, water spirits, mermaids and demons, are the subjects of these resin paintings.  Goldberg has coined the term “liquid rhythm” to describe how her artwork is the product of her flows and coils of imagery. 

6.    Goldberg’s artwork falls under the category of contemporary style art.

7.    Interesting information on Carla Goldberg include that she resides in Beacon, NY. 

8.    Three other artists that produce works of art similar to Goldberg’s contemporary pieces are Thomas Cole of the Hudson River School of Art, Frederick Church, and modern painter Mark Rothko.  Carla Goldberg’s paintings are also inspired and are similar to the color scheme of Jackson Pollack.  Goldberg quotes, “Although not all my work is similar to these artist’s paint, they do inspire, infuse and fuel my spirit.”    Carla Goldberg’s work is similar to these artists in the way she uses a “loosely flowing” hand and exaggerates her colors.  Goldberg’s work also contrasts greatly with these artists.  For example, Jackson Pollack mainly splatter paints without a main subject, meanwhile, Carla Goldberg names each individual in her painting the title.  Frederick Church does mainly landscapes and scape series, yet, Goldberg sketches bodies.      

9.    See top of the page.

                  

Critique of “The Goddess of Sangria”

            The “Goddess of Sangria” is my personal favorite piece from Carla Goldberg.  Goldberg uses a three dimensional form making the subject, Sangria, the Goddess of power appear as if she’s coming toward you.  The contrasting line that outlines the figure of her body is colorful and contrasting to her blue fill.  The bold lines of Sangria draw the viewer in and depict the bold and powerful curves of a woman.  Shapes such as circles are prominent in the “Goddess of Sangria” and patterns in the resin and paint draw the eye upwards.  The hues in the painting are mostly blues and reds, with a high intensity.  Nothing about this goddess is dull.  The texture appears to be rough with no negative space.  The values of the painting include a darker scheme in the bottom left hand corner and gradually lighten to the top right hand corner.  The mixed media of resin, mica, and paint come together to create this abstract piece, making the painting flow, as Goldberg describes as “liquid rhythm.”  There is an emphasis on the woman’s breasts, clavicle, curve’s of her torso, and narrow shape of her shoulders.  Goldberg creates the feeling of equal weight by making the figure full the whole page and in a way that the figure is not directly in the center, allowing the eye to travel across the whole page.  There is great harmony as each color eases into the next and each line flows into another.  There is a variety of textures, colors, patterns, and shapes that make the “Goddess of Sangria” live up to her name as the goddess of power, who controls the Hudson river.  Sangria adds excitement to the painting as she flows as gently as the Hudson, yet is filled with different textures as the Hudson is filled with different types of life.  The alternating lights and darks, repeating use of red and blue with hints of yellow, and use of the basic shapes give the “Goddess of Sangria” rhythm.  The proportion of the woman’s body is correct using the seven and a half head proportion.  All in all, each color, shape, and line unites to make the “Goddess of Sangria” ever powerful.

            It is no doubt; the subject matter of Carla Goldberg’s series of goddesses is the figures of women.  The theme that Goldberg uses in her works is water.  The resin in her works depicts seeing through water and the majestic things that lay beneath.  The Goddesses are the supermodels if the Hudson River.  Each goddess carries an emotion; the emotion sets the theme of the painting.  The theme of Sangria is a drunken haze.  Sangria is drunk with love and lust for the captain who sails her river.  The power she can use to pull her lust into the river is represented in the swirls used throughout the piece.  Sangria tells a story how she never lets her loves slip away, how if a sunken ship lays beneath the surface she has the power to keep it there for eternity.  The abstract portrait of Sangria may not be how a real human might look but is the exact portrait of a Goddess and a reflection on Carla Goldberg herself, as she uses Sangria to display a message, a story, a glimpse into her life, and her inner goddess sangria.  The deeper message is evident, Sangria, as well as all other goddesses, are a piece of Carla that she wants to share with the world. 

            Carla’s work might appear to be abstract, but her messages are real.  All her pieces derives from figures of women, but are constructed in unnatural colors.  Carla Goldberg has a specific style of using resin, minerals, and paint all in one to create her pieces of work.  I’d like to see how she creates each piece step by step.  The feeling the artwork gives me is curiosity.  I wonder how she creates each piece and how each piece looks in real life.  My favorite part of the artwork is the brilliant use of colors.  When I look at a piece of art, I look for bright colors and the “Goddess of Sangria” satisfies that.