Annell Livingston

Color Shifts in Painting or Angle of Vision. Most are aware, paintings look different at a distance or from across the room, than they do up close. The painting calls to us. We move closer, and upon close inspection, the painting might look completely different, or we realize there was much we could not see. While working in the studio, I passed in front of a painting, and suddenly saw the painting differently. I was looking at the painting from an angle. I moved to the right, then in front of the painting, and then from the left. Colors seemed to shift before my eyes. This idea became what I wanted to emphasize in my work. I began to investigate paint, which paints would give greater color shifts? We never hang a painting and put a chair in front of it to allow the viewer to see the painting from the best vantage point. Instead, a painting is hung, and we hope the people in the room will enjoy it from whatever distance they see it. A painting will always be viewed at an angle, as the viewer moves around a room. This is true in museums, galleries, and in the home. When seen from different angles, the painting seems more interactive and more alive, as we become aware of color shifts.