South African Art #3

Understand the purpose, message or idea that the artist was trying to communicate through the creation of the artwork.

• What does the subject matter tell you about the meaning of this artwork?

The subject matter of this artwork shows that the culture of the South African deals with fishing. It is basically describing one of the main things that the South African culture does. 

• What symbols are used, and what do they represent?

• How do you feel when you view the artwork, and why do you feel this way?

When I look at the artwork I feel almost connected and that I can relate to their culture. We fish a lot in our culture and it is a similarity we have with their culture. The painting also gives off the emotion or love and community. The "black people figures" in the painting are working together as a group or a community. 

• What mood is created by the artwork? How has the artist used the elements & principles to create this mood?

The mood created by the artwork is happiness and success. The bright colors contrasting against the dark figures make the mood light and happy. The painting makes it seems like the figures in the painting are "successful" which makes a viewer feel joy and happiness. The bright colors help create this mood. 

• If the artist was attempting to use an artistic technique, has it been used effectively to help convey meaning?'

Battiss' art technique is abstract. Mainly most of his artworks are abstract in some way. Fishermen Drawing Nets is a primitiveness style and a figurative painting. Primitivism is the value of a simple and unsophisticated, expression as a philosophy of life through art. It is a figurative painting also.