Parental Concern, Renie Breskin Adams

Renie Breskin Adams

DeKalb , IL USA

Parental Concern

Cotton embroidery

8 x 5 ½ inches

2002

Before you read the critique below, consider this question:

In what ways does the artist's formal design support her narrative design purposes?

Renie Breskin Adams elevates the traditional medium of embroidery to “high” art in signature works such as Parental Concern—the subject of this week's Critique of the Week. Her “stitched paintings” make strong narrative statements that are conveyed through highly sophisticated formal compositions.

Parental Concern is jam-packed with visual elements (shapes, marks, and textures) and relationships (rhythmic movements, directional thrusts, and color contrasts). The result is an extremely energetic arrangement. Adams deftly employs numerous unifying principles simultaneously (we can only scratch the surface here); but, as you can see, the results are intriguing and satisfying.

Essentially, Parental Concern is arranged according to focal emphasis. The face of the father with his mouth wide open (framed by the prominent narrative text above him) first draws our attention. We're directed there by a number of forces. The corner post of the bed frame at the bottom serves as a powerful directional signpost pointing directly at him. A wonderful rhythmic sequence of yellow shapes (representing shirts) leads the eye on a gentle arc from the right edge near the top down to the yellow shirt that frames the face of our protagonist (just above and to the left of center). A small black dog on the left extends the rhythmic movement. Its eyes stare back up at the focal point, encouraging us to do so as well.

In response to this dominant focal area, Adams establishes a secondary area of emphasis—the anguished face of the fallen daughter at the bottom. We're drawn to this by the diagonal movement of the edge of the quilt culminating in a staring, squawking parrot. The upside-down orientation of the woman's body grabs our attention. The rich, dark shape of her hair cropped by the bottom edge of the design space further accentuates this focal area. (In design, visual elements engaging edges are powerful and prominent.)

Finally, Adams moves us up and away from this secondary point through the movement of the shirt and arms above, culminating in the directional thrust of the daughter's legs that brings us back to the rhythmic movement of the yellow shirts.

Besides a focal hierarchy and a supporting rhythm, Adams also employs another unifying principle of design—a large underlying shape structure. This structure is made up of three powerful shapes that fit together like a glove to lock the arrangement in place: the pink-purple bar at the top; the highly textured, neutral-gray shape at bottom right that meanders to the left to engage the middle of the left edge; and the highly activated shape that represents the bed, quilt, and parrot. These pieces of Breskin's fantastic puzzle hold the arrangement together, while at the same time creating excitement, tension, and movement.

Meanwhile, let's think about the opening question….

Consider how Adams uses formal design in the service of her narrative design purpose. The story appears to revolve around the cultural notion that women often gain their identity, security, and purpose through marriage. The prominently placed father figure underscores this by screaming vehemently—No one will ever marry you…. This message is powerfully reinforced through the placement of the focal point. Next, the less prominently placed mother (in the background) timidly points out (while shrugging her shoulders and smiling apologetically)—she needs something to fall back on….

As you can see, the daughter has fallen in response to both a physical and psychic lack of support, leaving her stunned and compromised. This movement is placed at the area of secondary focal emphasis. In addition, notice the gap or opening created by the interval between the bedpost and the bottom of the chair leg to the right. Not only has she toppled backwards, but she appears to be dropping down though a chute into an open void that threatens to suck her entirely out of the picture!

Finally, the feeling of psychological discord and tension in Adams' composition is heightened by a predominance of angular/triangular shapes: the triangular protrusion on the left edge of the large, gray underlying shape; the shapes in the quilt; the shapes of parrot feathers; and the wedge-like shapes of the legs of the three top figures as they come together close to the design's center.

Final food for thought:

Take a look at the parrot at the upper left corner of the design that gains prominence through its placement. What happens if you eliminate this figure from the design? The design's equilibrium is instantly disturbed!

What happens if the parrot is moved upward and off the edge? The bird becomes so prominent that it is the focal point, compromising the design's narrative purposes. This small exploration shows how moving just one element can change the entire composition.

Steven Aimone

author of DESIGN! A Lively Guide to Design Basics for Artists and Craftspeoplel

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ABOUT THIS EXCITING BOOK!

(The Critique of the Week is edited by Katherine Duncan AImone)

ARTIST'S BIO:

Renie Breskin Adams is a pioneer within the genre of contemporary embroidered pictures. Her works have been exhibited internationally and are in public and private collections including the Renwick Gallery in Washington, D.C. She taught for many years as a professor of art at Northern Illinois University and continues to teach workshops--this summer at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. She is represented by Mobilia Gallery in

Cambridge, MA.

Renie Breskin Adams can be reached at:

renie@niu.edu