Saman Ray

May 9th 2018

Dr. Arizzoli
University of Mississippi
1

An analysis of art of Maysey Craddock

Maysey Craddock paints a visually abstract painting but her stance is very clear to us. She

shows us ruins, not of ancient palaces and castles but far more intimate places and homes

which used to be inhabited by everyday people. There is no diversity in color palette. In fact,

the number of colors used, does not exceed more than six. Yet the scene is haunting. We

never see the horizon but only the ruins which fills up the entire space. The ruins are geometric

in nature with rectangular blocks supporting each other in a delicate balance. The composition

is very static. It gives us the feeling that this place has remained neglected for a long time. On

the other hand, the scene is also dynamic. It makes us wonder, what if a small piece of wood

or a plank loses balance? Will the whole structure collapse? The encroachment of nature, such

as bushes, twigs, dead trees, alongside man made structure suggests a constant struggle

between decay and holding onto balance. The artist has managed to masterfully freeze this

tension where the outer lines are tilted towards the center and the center lines are supporting

the outer lines. In addition, both the outer and inner lines are holding up the top horizontal

lines.

One of the most intriguing aspect of the paintings is also the title. The artist names it “​Ruin

Is A Secret Oasis​”. It makes us wonder, how can such places of neglect be an oasis? Afterall,

years of abandonment has left nothing of value. However, this is the very idea the artist is

trying to debate. She does not view it through the lens of decay and abandonment. Instead,

she takes comfort in the triumph of nature slowly gaining over rust and metal and wood. It is

the constant transformation that she really wants us to see. The transformation from a well
 Saman Ray
May 9th 2018
Dr. Arizzoli
University of Mississippi
2
built man-made structure to an abandoned building to rusting and decaying ruin giving way to

nature is told in a single frame. According to the artist, abandonment may be seen negatively

in society but it gives nature a room to flourish. In essence, she wants to celebrate the

resilience of nature. Artistic rendering of such places can even add a sense of mystery, says

the artist. The viewer is left to guess the meaning and importance of useless entify such as

ruins.

The artist emphasizes the feeling of abandonment and neglect through the use of paper

which is torn and stitched together. We can observe that papers have various item description

from an earlier product and the artist has made no effort in concealing it. The paper is folded

and crumpled to give the impression that the material itself is coming from an abandoned

place. This idea is further exaggerated by the use of uneven edges of the paper and choosing

not to frame the painting. The message of environmentalism is taken further by the use of bold

lines on the man made structures and thin strokes on floral veins. It suggests that despite the

abrasiveness of human settlements with the use of bold and thick lines, nature still finds a way

to claim back its property.

As mentioned previously, there is no horizon in her paintings. The idea of void and

emptiness beyond the viewers gaze gives an impression that ruins stretch forever into the

distance. This is further emphasized by the use of contrasting colors between the sky and

foreground where several of her paintings featuring a two tone color combination. The sky is

usually painted vivid in bright blue or white. This accentuates the sky and mutes the color

palette of the ruins. This quality emphasizes the authority of nature as an everlasting and

eternal force as structures may fade but nature will still be present. On the other hand,
 Saman Ray
May 9th 2018
Dr. Arizzoli
University of Mississippi
3
subdued, dull color of the ruins tells the story of a decaying, ravaged structures. They may be

played centrally in composition and occupy and large portion of the painting but they are not

the main focus. It is nature which is causing those structures to decay and highlights nature as

a powerful force. The texture of the decaying structure is very rough. We are unable to make

out individual pieces because of brush work but the lines of the bushes and flowery veins are

very clear and precise. This is one of the way artist has distinguished between two objects.

The paintings are big in size but the artwork is made as if we are looking through our own

eyes. The artwork has focal point set to viewers level which makes us feel as if we have some

part in this runious process. Looking at the painting feels as if we are amid the pile of ruins. In

one of her paintings, our view is forced through the scrap metal and into more decaying

structures. The composition is asymmetrical in nature and oftentimes, very chaotic. This

heightens the message of neglect and isolation.

Maysey Craddock states, “My work references objects and places that continue their slow

transformation after someone turns them away: rich, charged, vibrating places.” We have

already established that her core message is not abandonment, isolation or neglect. Instead,

she sees nature and all the things thriving and alive in her artwork. This is a very creative way

of conveying message without actually referencing the actual subject, i.e, nature. Artists and

writers often take this approach to convey ideas. I believe Maysey Craddock has succeed in

doing so because we humans are intimately familiar with the feeling of isolation. As social

beings, we crave for friendship and attention but placing us in her painting and telling us that

it's not lack of society but the thriving of nature is artistic genius from Ms. Craddock. She has
 Saman Ray
May 9th 2018
Dr. Arizzoli
University of Mississippi
4
tried to change the very meaning of ruins and as an artist she has indeed made a very

powerful statement.

Comparing her paintings to other artworks in the gallery, we can find a piece by Philip

Jackson. He paints still life of fruits and flowers in vivid detail. There is a soft glow highlighting

the edges and great attention to details and texture of the yellow flower. The oil painting has

enabled the artist to enhance the subtle glaze and reflection on the artwork. In contrast,

Maysey's paintings follow a more modern approach stylistically with loose brush, flat

perspective, and abstract composition. Her medium of choice is Gouache and watercolor on

found paper. This medium helps her define thick bold outlines of the ruins and create a soft

fuzzy outline for the foliage.

Philip shows that nature is delicate and has to be examined carefully to appreciate the

fleeting beauty of it. The fruits and flowers are the only subject in his entire painting and is very

elegantly placed on top of a reflective ground/table. The reflection is faint and stretches to the

bottom of the painting. The reflections shows a decaying flower which foreshadows the future

of it. We can see that it is dead, decaying and very much lifeless as compared to full bloom.

Philip highlights the duality of life where beauty and elegance is not eternal but is in a very

fragile state. The message is very contrasting to Maysey’s work. The flora is rugged and grows

free of of any bondage. It is rugged and needs no attentions from humans to survive.

The comparison of color between two artwork is also worth noting. In Philip’s work, the

flower is highly detailed. We can observe the individual petals, the stalk and even the contour

of the decay. The leaf has a well defined outline and overall the scene has a great play of light

and shadows. The bloom is very visible whereas the stalk at the end is slowly fading. The
 Saman Ray
May 9th 2018
Dr. Arizzoli
University of Mississippi
5
surface may be reflective but it is not very uniform. This breaks up the reflection and show the

caliber of the artist. In contrast, Maysey’s art doesn’t have many tonal variations. The scene is

flat is because the use of shadow is not very pronounced. Looking closely, we find that only

the nature is painted in fine detail whereas the decaying wood structure is painted in large

blocks of single color. The plant stalk curls and envelopes building from all three sides. The

veins of the plant is shown in great detail with translucent leaf. This is one of the few similarity

that we can observe as both artist depict nature in fine detail even though the message is

completely different.

Furthermore, we can compare two artists approach the subject of nature. Philip’s artwork

shows that the true beauty of nature is to enhance and complement human lives. We are the

ones who control it and can pluck it or consume it as per our wishes. In contrast, Maysey’s

painting tells us that despite strong opposition from humanity and human made structure,

nature still finds a way and needs no help in flourishing. In fact, the painting series, “​Ruin Is A

Secret Oasis​” celebrates nature in its true form. Just because it doesn’t fit our ideals shouldn’t

mean its unfit or should be discarded. I believe this is one of the major difference between two

different and unique approach to art.

Saman Ray
May 9th 2018
Dr. Arizzoli
University of Mississippi
6