Painting Literacy - 'The Largest'

 Title: The Largest

Artist: Group 2, 2021

Material: Acrylic on Paper, with Tissues and Glue

Tools: 9 Different paintbrushes, Q tips

Description:

This work was inspired by Mount Tambora, the still active volcano that created the largest modern volcanic explosion in 1815. Next to the volcano includes a depiction of one of the largest flowers in the world, the rafflesia or “corpse flower,” which grows in an Indonesian jungle. The background includes a dark blue sky with various elements of colour.

The work is noted for its tsunami of volcanic materials in place of water, though volcanoes and seismic activity that can cause eruptions can also trigger water-based tsunamis. It is said that the tsunami represents the overwhelming levels of ash and smoke in the air that swept away the summer of 1816 in North America. The tsunami is headed towards the rich wildlife and living areas of the Indonesian people that had died, represented by the flower and the darkened tissue. The light (bright and dark), texture (flat and 3-dimensional), and element (water, fire, wind, and earth) contrast depicted leaves more room for viewers to explore. 

Questions Inspired by Common Observations:

• How do you feel about this painting? If you were in the setting of the painting, what would cross your mind?

• What do you like about this painting? Dislike?

• What colours are missing? Why do you think they are missing?

• How many modes of art styles do you see? Why do you think the artist chose to do this? 

• Why do you think the artist used multiple layers of paint for the tsunami? What do layers have to do with Mount Tambora?

• Look at the light and dark contrast of the painting. What do you notice?

• Tsunamis are usually blue and white when depicted through artwork. Why is this one different?

• What do volcanoes do for oceanic environments?

• Research more about the flower. Why do you think the artist chose this flower instead of Indonesia’s national flower, animal, or image representative of Indonesian people and culture?

• Why is some of the magma that spews from the volcano also represented by the tissue paper?

Volcanic Material Facts:

• Pumice, the spongy-looking rock used in spas to exfoliate skin, comes from magma with water and gas in it.

• Most volcanic material and rock contains silica, which makes up most rocks and majority of the Earth’s Crust.

• Magma is molten rock inside of Earth, while lava is the magma that leaves the volcano. Same composition, different places!

• Mount Tambora is a stratovolcano, known for their large explosions, thin lava, and cone shape, depicted in the painting.

Additional References:

Andrew, S. (2020, January 4). Scientists just found one of the world’s largest flowers blooming in an Indonesian jungle. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/03/world/worlds-largest-flower-indonesia-scn-trnd/index.html