1.The Fight

Oil painting on canvas

Unit 4 Art Making and Exhibiting

The oil painting “The Fight” presents the themes of agony and suffering and displays the contemporary issue of domestic violence. The piece, inspired by the realistic and tense works of Austin Briggs, the painting mimics the same realistic style and carries an air of tension throughout the scene. ​

I was motivated to create the piece after reading about the rise in deaths as a result of domestic violence, she began by taking a photo of her friends in formal clothes and then sketched it onto a canvas in which she then painted.​

The painting features a couple within a domestic setting with the larger and more dominant male figure accusatorily verbally abusing his partner who is turning away from the abuse in acceptance. It presents suffering throughout two different facets: the suffering of an individual (the female subject) and the suffering of a relationship. The traditional dominant man is cloaked in a tie and a formal shirt and jutting out a finger- which acts as the focal point in the centre of the composition- to belittle his partner- draws the viewers attention into his foul behaviour, the domesticity of the issue, and the aggression behind his actions. Whereas the darkness cloaking the female figure and her body positioned away from him communicates the silent acceptance that many victims of domestic violence and suffering experience, highlighting the conflict and suffering within her for the mental battle of someone she loves dearly to treat her poorly. ​

With a choice of oil paints allowed her to construct a more realistic range of shades across her piece to increase the sympathetic reaction of her viewers. Additionally, her choice to use a photo as a base and then to sketch the piece onto her canvas before painting over it allowed for a stronger underlying structure to the piece and indicated where highlights and darker values should be, which allowed to create the realistic light source and colouring in the painting.​

Additionally, there are symbols included of the crumble topped with mistletoe in the background to juxtapose the traditional ‘lovers’ cliché of kissing under a mistletoe and romance , furthermore the crumble symbolises the transition from a homely and warm dinner date to a night turned sour with no warning, symbolising the often unstable and quick-changing nature of abusive relationships ​

The most successful aspect of this artwork is the use of shades and tones across the painting and specifically within the skin of the figures to create a realistic and humanitarian look, allowing the audience to empathise further with the scene before them.