TASK 2 VISUAL ANALYSIS & IDEATION

Design Principles - Task 2: Visual Analysis & Ideation

17/02/2025- 03/03/2025 / Week 3 – Week 5 
Valenz Jycee Primadi / 0373407
Design Principles /Creative Media/ School of design
Task 2 : Visual Analysis & Ideation

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Lectures

2. Instructions

3. Task : 2 Visual Analysis

4. Task : 2  Three Idea Sketches

5. Feedback

6. Reflection

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LECTURES

What is Visual Analysis? 

Visual analysis is a design method for understanding and interpreting works of art or design by observing the visual elements used, for example, observing elements of color, shape, line, texture, space, and composition. Visual analysis is used to explore the meaning and function and also the message you want to convey to the audience.

Stages in Visual Analysis

• Observation : Like the observations we have made, visual analytical observation is the first stage where we will observe the visual elements in a work of art.
• Analysis : For the next stage, we carry out an analysis of the work of art. Analysis is where we will examine how the design elements are arranged and also how design principles are applied in the work of art.
• Interpretation : Last but not least, the final stage in visual analysis is interpretation. What is interpretation? Interpretation is us exploring the message, emotion, or concept that we want to convey through the work of art.

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 INSTRUCTIONS

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Task : 2 Visual Analysis

Tittle Art work : Electric Chair

Artist Name : Andy Warhol

Size : 90 cm × 135 cm (35 in × 53 in)

Medium : Silkscreen print on canvas

source : https://guyhepner.com/news/149-andy-warhol-s-electric-chair-death-and-disaster/

Observation

This painting shows an electric chair in a quiet and empty room. The colors used in this painting vary from dark color combinations to bright colors, creating emotional contrasts and various symbolic meanings. For example, red and yellow symbolize violence and warning. All the other colors he has used symbolize the meaning of misery and death. This painting was painted using silkscreen printing media, resulting in a rough texture and some distortion. There is negative space around the electric chair, giving it an isolating and eerie impression.

Visual Analysis

This painting contains strong principles of contrast. The color contrast effectively creates a figure-ground because In some of the versions that Andy Warhol created, the background has a very striking or dark color compared to the electric chair, which makes the electric chair, the main object, appear more dominant. The principle of emphasis occurs because the electric chair is the only object in the painting. There are principles of closure in this painting because the absence of humans triggers the viewer's imagination about what really happened over there. Did someone already use the electric chair? Or it's never been used. The principle of balance in this painting can be seen in the asymmetry of the chair, where the chair is positioned slightly shifted from the main center. The principle of the repetition can be seen also, because Warhol is known for using a repetition technique through his art, by printing the electric chair with different color variations, it illustrates how the media continues to repeat images of violence until it becomes normal for them.

Interpretation

According to Warhol, the electric chair is not just a means of execution but a cruel tool and a critique of the cruelty of the death penalty system. The criticism is about indifference to cruelty. Warhol wanted to show how society is accustomed to viewing violence and cruelty shown in the media so that it does not create a sense of empathy and feels that it is not a terrible event but rather a joke. The colors used by Warhol convey a dark message.

The breakdown of the electric chair :

• Emphasis the electric chair is placed in the center of the composition as the main focal point. In this painting, negative space is created because the room is quiet and empty from the execution room, making the audience focus more on the electric chair.

figure 3.2 Emphasis 

• Repetion like other Andy Warhol works, the Electric Chair consists of several different color versions but with the same object. Warhol used silkscreen printing techniques. This repetition of different colors defines the way the mass media broadcast images of violence over and over again.

  
  figure 3.3 Repetion

• Balance in this painting, Warhol created a principle of asymmetrical balance in his composition. We can see the electric chair is placed slightly off-center; it helps to give a dramatic atmosphere rather than being placed in the middle.

figure 3.4 Balance

• Contrast this painting uses contrast so that the colors stand out in people's eyes. These colors are red, yellow, orange, purple, pink, blue, or green. The colors used depict the electric chair, a cruel and frightening object, with the help of dark contrast. The color contrast creates a figure-ground the background has a very striking or dark color compared to the electric chair, which makes the electric chair, the main object, appear more dominant. 

• Gestalt Theory  in Electric Chair, Warhol, there are several Gestalt principles that help humans understand visuals and patterns: 

Figure-Ground in this painting, the electric chair becomes the main element (figure), while the atmosphere of an empty room becomes the background (ground). 

figure 3.5 Contrast & Figure-Ground 

Closure the electric chair is shown without humans, making our brains automatically fill in the blanks by imagining the tragedy that occurred there. It utilizes visual psychology.

figure 3.6 Closure

Task : 2  Three Idea Sketch

sketch 1 :

Title : Death & Joy

So much of the media doesn't care about the pain of the death penalty. You can see an electric chair surrounded by many people, depicting the cruel reality of the media who share in watching people's misery before their eyes. It's like they see a comedy, they don't realize that their actions are not empathetic.

figure 4.1 Sketch Idea 1 "Death & Joy."

The concept and references: 

This is the reference that I took in for making this sketch and the color palette that I will probably use for the digitization process. I made the person yellow, meaning joy & laughter, while the red chair means death and misery. I intend to create a distinct contrast between the two objects, thereby serving as a symbolic representation of the two atmospheres.

Figure 4.2 References : References #1 , References #2 , and References #3.

sketch 2 :

Title : No Escape, No Mercy

The electric chair has been used several times by different people. Many people who died were punished in that chair, so they appeared as ghosts and felt miserable. Unable to get out of the limbo of pain they face, trapped in the misery they feel. Begging to have mercy.

Figure 4.3 Sketch Idea 2 "No escape, No Mercy."

The concept and references: 

This is the reference that I took. I used elements of repetition and balance to make the message clearer. The colors I use have symbols and meaning. The color purple represents mourning, grief, and suffering. Meanwhile, the color blue represents sadness, isolation, and emotional suffering.

Figure 4.4 References : References #1 & References #2 .

sketch 3 :

Title: "Smile You're on Camera."

The electric chair becomes a mockery. I described it from the perspective of a person taking a photo of the electric chair, with lots of mocking graffiti written on it.The message is about how they don't feel empathy about people's misery and feel it is just a useless past or a mockery.

Figure 4.5 Sketch Idea 3  "Smile You're on Camera."

The concept and references: 

This is the reference that I took for making this sketch. The color palette that I will use is monochrome and also bright colors. Both of the colors represent the 1960s and also 2025. I want to give a message that in the past and even today, many people still do not feel empathetic. I used the element of contrast and also a little bit of the element of movement to make it more media from the 1960s.

Figure 4.6 References : References #1, References #2, and References #3.

FEEDBACK

Week 4

Sir Anwar said that the year, artist's name, etc., must be written on the artwork. He also likes my analysis and sketches because he thinks, "Your analysis effectively captures Warhol's visual impact, especially in contrast, repetition, and Gestalt principles. The emphasis on color psychology and media desensitization is well presented. The sketches successfully translated these ideas into strong visual narratives, reinforcing the themes of indifference, repetition, and mockery. Well-executed and visually compelling!"

Week 5

Sir Anwar liked all the sketches I had done, so he said my digitization had the same texture as the silk printing done by Andy Warhol.

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REFLECTION

During the sketching process, I can learn new things, such as the elements applied by Andy Warhol to create the electric chair through silk printing. I may also discover how to adapt Andy Warhol's art into something new. The method encourages me to think outside the box and explore new concepts that I may incorporate into my work. During this week, I also learned about the inspiration behind Andy Warhol's art, which aided me in carrying out this project. Overall, I like this assignment since it allows me to think further and construct sketches using the design ideas that have been taught. This Experience can help me approach creatively and also provide me a chance to investigate a work that has been carried out and further execute a design, I believe I will apply in the future.