Art Analysis of Off to the Trapline by Fred Machetanz
I decided to walk around the Museum of the North here on the UAF campus to get some inspiration of what art I wanted to do for this week's blog post. It was so hard to pick what art pieces to use. I highly recommend going to visit the museum. The one that I settled on after a long debate is Off to the Trapline by Fred Machetanz in1984. I could not find exactly where Fred Machetanz painted Off to the Trapline but if I had to make an educated guess. I would guess that he painted it in Alaska. It is an oil on Masonite. For those of you who don't know what that means don't worry I didn't either. Oil on Masonite means an oil-based painting on a Masonite board. A Masonite board is a hardboard that is used similarly to a canvas. What drew me to this piece was the focus being on the dogs instead of the mushers. The texture of the mountains gives it a real life feeling. The snow tail that the dog sled is going through also adds to this. Fred Machetanz used shading to add texture. Him doing this made it feel more like a snap of a photo. He also used lighting to enhance the dark spots. When I see this painting, it makes me feel the dog's excitement. It makes me feel the chill air on my face as if they are actively running past me. I got my information from the plaque that is displayed with the painting at the museum. I'm going to include an interesting article that is a short article about Fred Machetanz life. https://www.litsitealaska.org/index.cfm?section=digital-archives&page=People-of-the-North&cat=Pioneers&viewpost=2&ContentId=2668
“What Is Oil on Masonite? - Answers.” Answers, 2022, qa.answers.com/art-and-architecture/What_is_oil_on_masonite#:~:text=Some%20artists%20prefer%20to%20paint%20on%20masonite%20board. Accessed 17 Sept. 2024.
“Alaska Classics | Museum | Museum of the North.” Uaf.edu, 2024, www.uaf.edu/museum/collections/fineart/collection/collection-highlights/alaska-classics/. Accessed 17 Sept. 2024.
Hey Lilly, I like the piece of art you picked. Dog mushing is quite cool, and this painting makes you feel the energy and excitement exuded from the dogs and their musher. UAF museum is a great place to see Alaskan art and culture. My favorite part is the taxidermied animals exhibit.
ReplyDeleteHi, Lilly. I enjoyed reading your art analysis of this piece of Oil on Masonite. I also appreciate you explaining what Oil of Masonite is because I had never heard of it before seeing this artwork. Like you, I was also drawn to the focus on the dogs. The people in the background almost fade to the point that they are not noticeable, really drawing you into the front of the work. I agree also that the lighting makes a huge impact on this painting. My eyes are actually focused on the blues and whites and less on the black. The texture used makes me want to reach out a pet the dog's fur on his head! An additional element I thought of when I saw this piece of art was space. The space between the dog in the front and the handler makes the handler almost blurred out in the distance. I think it is really great that you were able to go view this right on campus!
ReplyDeleteHi Lilly, I enjoyed reading your analysis on Off to the Trapline by Fred Machetanz. I appreciate that you took the time to explain what Oil of Masonite is, I have personally never heard of it, and it was nice you took the time to explain. Also, I agree with how you pointed out how the light source enhances the dark spots and to me that creates a sense of depth. I would like to point out the perspective aspect of this painting, with the white dog in the foreground with the most detail and as the dogs get further back, they lose as much detail. Overall, I enjoyed your analysis and really enjoyed the piece you chose.
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