"The Last Furlong" by Graham Isom - Analysis
This visual text was painted by Graham Isom (1945- ), a British artist. Born in Kent, England, Isom was brought up around his father’s riding school and developed a love of horses. He studied at the Ravensbourne College of Art. Isom is part of the American Academy of Equine Art (AAEA) and the Society of Equine Artists (SEquA). He specializes in oil paintings.
I found The Last Furlong at http://www.colombart.co.uk. This is a reputable source because it is an institutional site that represents a respected organization. It features art and information on a variety of artists. I verified this information with several other sources to ensure it was accurate.
I chose this visual text because it represents the emotion of those depicted very well. It appealed to me because, while having more of a blurred characteristic, the details of the scene - the noise of the surrounding crowd, the sweat on the horse’s body - are very sharp. This piece fits with my theme of the emotions of running because both the jockeys and horses are participants in this race. In my opinion, it is a good visual representation of John Masefield’s The Racer.
The form of this visual text is a canvas oil painting. This contributes to its effectiveness because this is a common medium that is relatively easy to work with, making it appropriate to depict the basic, almost primal emotions of a race.
In The Last Furlong, Isom used visual techniques that make the piece effective. The focus is primarily on the racers (the horses and jockeys) and less so on the surrounding crowd. This makes it clear that the viewer is meant to focus on the foreground. A very effective visual technique is having more of a blurry image. In my opinion, this represents the racer’s exhaustion, and the fog that comes with such fatigue as well as the determination and tenacity to overcome it, which can be seen on the jockey’s faces. Lastly, the use of colour is an interesting concept in this piece. By using multiple layers of paint, a three-dimensional, vivid image is produced. The bright green of the grass almost molds with the rest of the scene. Again, this makes the horses and their jockeys stand out.
I found The Last Furlong at http://www.colombart.co.uk. This is a reputable source because it is an institutional site that represents a respected organization. It features art and information on a variety of artists. I verified this information with several other sources to ensure it was accurate.
I chose this visual text because it represents the emotion of those depicted very well. It appealed to me because, while having more of a blurred characteristic, the details of the scene - the noise of the surrounding crowd, the sweat on the horse’s body - are very sharp. This piece fits with my theme of the emotions of running because both the jockeys and horses are participants in this race. In my opinion, it is a good visual representation of John Masefield’s The Racer.
The form of this visual text is a canvas oil painting. This contributes to its effectiveness because this is a common medium that is relatively easy to work with, making it appropriate to depict the basic, almost primal emotions of a race.
In The Last Furlong, Isom used visual techniques that make the piece effective. The focus is primarily on the racers (the horses and jockeys) and less so on the surrounding crowd. This makes it clear that the viewer is meant to focus on the foreground. A very effective visual technique is having more of a blurry image. In my opinion, this represents the racer’s exhaustion, and the fog that comes with such fatigue as well as the determination and tenacity to overcome it, which can be seen on the jockey’s faces. Lastly, the use of colour is an interesting concept in this piece. By using multiple layers of paint, a three-dimensional, vivid image is produced. The bright green of the grass almost molds with the rest of the scene. Again, this makes the horses and their jockeys stand out.