Visual Analysis Of Cross Road By Irving Norman

A110 Fall 2014 -­‐ Museum Paper Nichole Smith This paper is an analysis of an American artist named Irving Norman. His oil on canvas composition is called “Cross…road”. This paper will analyze the visual, stylistic, and historical elements to the painting. Norman made all of his pieces great sizes, particularly to increase the meaning and subject of his compositions. Cross…Road stands in vertical position. At the bottom of the composition there is a sign in bold red letters that reads “Tension
The use of line in this composition cause you to see the towers that seem to resemble skyscrapers on the left and right as extremely steep. To me it seems as though Norman uses use of line to create the separation between social classes in the way he creates a towering steep distance between the people in the skyscrapers and the people in the buildings below. The use of triangles and arrow shapes, also elevators add to a cramped city urban lifestyle. Form is very evident as Norman uses the arrow homes to point upward towards the skyscrapers above.

The elevators are a long rectangular shape connecting to circular restaurants with a dome type oval shape placed
A highlighted elevator colored in bright red is something you can’t

miss along with the bright red & black flames atop the arrow city buildings. The oil paint texture of the painting makes the painting look smooth and very detailed. There is no bumps or ruff on the surface of the painting. In the right corner the lighting is brighter as though it is saying there is hope in the distance.

Norman was born into poverty in the town of Vilnius, Poland in 1906. Norman fled to New York in 1923 because of the German invasion. He also lived in Los Angeles and Half Moon Bay of California. He went to school at the California School of Fine Arts in San Francisco, he also studied at the Art Students League in New York. He has traveled to