98 Art Analysis: “The Beauty in Chaos”
Anonymous
Juliette Holder
ENG 1013.07
12 Nov 2021
The Beauty in Chaos
The best way to see how humans see themselves is to look at their self-portraits. Like most art, self-portraits are used to express emotions and stir up the viewer’s own emotions. Latvian-born American artist Hyman Bloom excelled in the art of painting himself and others on canvas in the most obscure, abstract, and enticing ways. He specialized and was known for his portrayal of bodies and cadavers. His very own masterpiece of himself, labeledSelf-Portrait, is the very definition of beauty in chaos.
The very first glance toward Bloom’s Self-Portrait assaults the eyes with bright, vibrant colors. Beautiful reds, oranges, and yellows leap off the canvas, creating a stark contrast from the blue-and-black background. Bloom uses a large variation of warm colors to create the shape of his body, being mostly red, perhaps to allude to human flesh. The reds fade into oranges and whites, all of them mushing together in a seamless blend that Bloom has perfected. The color red has brought this kind of humanness to the painting, making it feel almost angry or chaotic. It also resembles flames, which adds to the general feeling of anger.
On the opposite side of the spectrum are the colors that fade into the background bringing a calming sensation. Once past the bright object in the middle of the painting, a beautiful background can be brought to attention. This background is not just one solid color but a wonderful array of blues, greens, purples, and grays intentionally blended together. These colors fade and get darker to mimic shadowing and light. The use of these colors almost lulls the viewer to sleep. They bring a sense of peace— a very stark contrast from the center of the painting. It quiets the violent noise from that the eyes see first.
Self-Portrait is so unique because of the lack of lines and distinct forms. Instead of outlines and distinct shapes one would expect from a painting, there is a strong usage of shading, lights and shadows, and a contrast of colors to create the illusion of shapes. Further, there are no lines to color inside of, which brings much confusion and a need to decipher what is actually there. The eye catches what could be the ribs. There is a usage of lighter colors and white to create these horizontal lines of what one would assume is the torso. The brush strokes mimic a rib cage and give the viewer a better understanding of how Bloom sees himself.
The most interesting aspect of this painting, however, is the illusion of the brain. Seen at the top of the painting in a vague round shape is a swirl of light colors representing the mind of Hyman Bloom. Because there is no distinct line to determine the details of the brain, the mess of colors creates that feeling of a clouded mind. The unique use of greens, whites, and blues represents the daily fight through a sea of thoughts that the artist dealt with. He paints this feeling perfectly on canvas and expresses his inner battles purely through color. Every aspect of this painting has been precisely thought over and implemented for a reason. The use of every inch of the canvas is intentional
Bloom does not include his entire body in this self-portrait, cutting off the top of his head and the bottom of his legs, leaving an awkward spacing. He makes this seemingly random choice to add to the effect of chaos. It gives the painting a feeling that it was not thought through, although it was thought over and analyzed in every way. It draws the eyes to the edge of the canvas, expecting to see more when in reality there is nothing left to show.
While looking from corner to corner, every detail comes to light. At the very bottom of the frame there are some extra brush strokes of red paint. It is unclear what the purpose of these splashes of color are intended for, but for some they look like plants or flowers. These plants can allude to his body growing from the ground up, out of the dirt. This element adds a whole new concept to the Self-Portrait that has depth of the meaning behind the creator’s choices and his intentions. Perhaps the body growing out of weeds refers to Hyman’s life as an immigrant and Jewish man living in the Bronx in the early and mid-1900s. It could possibly point to the fact Hyman did not like to advertise his art but would rather let it be unseen or something quiet and for his own pleasure. The interpretations of these unsuspecting brush strokes are endless and bring a whirlwind of possibilities for every viewer.
Self-Portrait by Hyman Bloom represents the open-endedness of expressing how an artist sees themselves. He creates a masterpiece that is full of colors and random spots of light and darkness, leaving the viewer to interpret his work for themselves. Like any good artist, he gives a peek inside his mind through his artwork. The chaos and craziness of Hyman Bloom is painted in oil for the world to see, no matter how they view it.
Works Cited
Cascone, Sarah. “Hyman Bloom, the Forgotten Modernist Who De Kooning Called ‘The First Abstract Expressionist,’ Is Having a Comeback.” Artnet News, 6 Aug. 2019, https://news.artnet.com/art-world/hyman-bloom-mfa-boston-1616383