The Into the Light exhibit, located in the Thomas Center, displays a wide array of Virginia Louise Leak’s artwork. Although Leak was diagnosed with a mental illness, she was still able to produce a lifetime of art. I believe her illness is what makes her art so extraordinary and relays a deeper message than what it appears to be on the surface. To me, if you truly desire to understand a work of art you first have to learn about the artist; therefore, before I even began observing the paintings and etchings I carefully read all of the plaques that gave detailed information about Leak’s life, history, and her works of art. Not all of Leak’s painting and etchings are on display for the public, but the artwork that is available to the public is truly astonishing. After observing her art in the exhibit, I carefully picked out three images to describe and interpret. The first image I will be depicting is an oil painting where Leak is the content of the painting. When you first look at the painting all you can see is Leak orbiting a crystal ball because she directly painted herself to be as if a spotlight was shining on her. The way she completed this task was by using white on certain spots of her robe to make your eyes focus solely on her. To exaggerate this effect, the objects around her were painted to look dark and dim. As I continued to observe the painting I realized the blue-checkered floor under her was portrayed to look like it was moving. Not only did the floor look like it was moving, but a substance was added to the blue paint to make it look like it was glowing. The form of this painting is representational because the objects in Leak’s painting are …show more content…
I believe her art is so much more than just paintings on a wall. They are filled with history, stories, and contemplation. Her art represents people all around the world who do not allow their illnesses’ to affect their