Vermilion Houses (Essay Sample)

The artist is Salomón Huerta a Mexican-American born in 1965 in Tijuana and is currently based in Los Angeles, California. He is a diverse artist with many different pieces that reflect different types of artistry and give a new perspective on situations ("Salomón Huerta - 6 Artworks, Bio & Shows on Artsy", 2017). The piece is one of many house paintings Salomon has created, it has no individual title however it is classified as a Vermillion House. The piece of art was painted in 2004 by vermilion oil paint on a Somerset soft white textured paper. It is 35.25" long and 35.50" wide excluding the frame. the oil paint used produces the different shades of red seen in the house, environment, and trees. The white spaces representing the door and doorknob frames are parts of the white textured paper that are not painted to create the object illusion. The artist used color aquatint with drypoint method. Aquatint is used to develop tonal effects by altering the surface of the piece creating a bumpy effect rather than use lines. The method provides color variation to the paint ("Aquatint – Art Term | Tate", 2017). The drypoint method is similar to engraving, which is used to create the texture and the feel of the piece. The dimensions of the picture reveal that it is relatively small compared to other art pieces. The color is spread out mainly on the lower side, creating objects that represent houses, trees, and the environment. the top of the piece is coated in a very light color to represent the clouds and the atmosphere as it is in real life. the houses are in a different shade from the trees and environment a technique achieved through the aquatint process. The concept of the piece is subject to interpretation although, it targets the idea of a home and most of the feelings associated with it like joy and safety. Salomon depicts the trees and vegetation as cones with varying sizes some stretching up to the sky. In the middle of the vegetation, there is a path leading to the house also covered in ground vegetation. The main house is located amongst other houses which are drawn in the background, but the focus is on the entry points of the main house. Using a different color for the houses represents different feelings a person should have. The house has a brighter color representing liveliness and joy while the dark-colored vegetation represents somber feelings. The disparity of the two represents the safety a house provides and the unease the outside may cause. The path leading to the house represents a way of getting home amid the darkness, which may bring out the idea that there is always a way to achieve joy and safety when in bad situations. The shapes are geometric and symmetric main...