At first
glance there are not many factors to connect these three very different works of art, but you
could say that all three artists use light and shadow in their creations to tell a story in
their artwork.
Fragonards The Swing (1767) depicts a
young woman in a swing, light shining upon her; she is the center of our focus, with her bright
pink skirts standing out among the dark foliage that surrounds her. Secondary to our attention
are the two men, her supposed husband and lover, concealed from one another in the shadow of the
young lady.
Darkytown Rebellion by Kara Walker (2001) is
an art piece radically different from the more traditional European painting and subject matter
of The Swing. However, Walker also uses light to create a scene where the
true subject matter is hidden from us at first glance. The silhouettes of Darkytown
Rebellion seem benign until one notices some of the more macabre details, such as
figures with severed limbs.
Lastly, Preying Mantra by
Wangechi Mutu (2006) most actively plays with light. The womanly creature is spotted with
sunlight, as through leaves, and is simultaneously a bright and dark figure in the piece. Her
evocative pose at first seems welcoming, but at second glance, one notices the praying mantis
stance of the womanwhich calls to the mind the female praying mantis notoriously eating the male
after mating.
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