Source work:
0432/04
John Henry Bacon (1868-1914)
The Ring
1898
Oil on canvas
Absence - Heather Gourlay-Conyngham
Heather Gourlay-Conyngham (b.1956)
Absence
Oil on canvas
negotiable
I have responded to three aspects of The Ring. Firstly, the asymmetrical position of the young woman in the composition attracts my attention. Secondly, the connotations I associate with the beautifully rendered fabric of her dress. Thirdly, the way the three people in the painting suggest the existence of someone who is absent.
By representing fabric and a figure in an asymmetrical composition, I have tried to imply that something or someone is absent. In other words, what is depicted in the painting evokes the idea of something that is not visually present.