Hello everyone, this research blog will be about John Walsh and his paintings, I will be researching and writing about one of John Walsh’s paintings below.
Vocabulary: These are the words I will be using for some of my research and answers
| Toroa | Titan
(Extending / Advanced) |
• Hauntingly (poignant ancestral presence)
• Evocatively (suggesting pūrākau/memory) • Industrializedly (factory-neat finishes) • Translucently (see-through glazes) • Abrasively (scratchy, harsh texture) • Commercializedly (mass-produced look) • Masterfully (expert fluid control) • Constructedness (stiff, artificial assembling) |
-Abrasively
-Hauntingly – Masterfully -Translucently |
The author described his painting dreamlike rather than realistic because in the painting there are mystery figures which we don’t know whether they are human or mythical creatures. John Walsh also includes things like mist around the figures or landscape giving it a hauntingly vibe.
He also includes very dark colours and masterfully blends it in together making it look ethereal. Another reason why the author used the word dreamlike instead of realistic is because the landscape he paints looks unreal, it’s filled with skies that look unearthly and substantial with landscapes forested in verdant bushes and trees.
John Walsh’s landscapes are described as dreamlike rather than realistic because he combines mysterious figures, unusual landscapes and contrasting textures to create an otherworldly atmosphere. He uses dark obsidian colour and light translucently, allowing the sky and the water to appear glowing and almost see through which makes the landscape feel magical and unreal. In contrast, some of the landforms and trees appear abrasively, with rough, harsh textures that create a striking difference between the soft, luminous sky and the darker, rugged environment.
Like I previously said, Walsh also includes mysterious figures that could represent ancestors or mythical beings, making the viewer question whether the scene is real or imagined. By blending these elements together, Walsh creates a haunting and spiritual atmosphere that connects Maori ancestral stories with natural environments.
Therefore, his landscapes feel dreamlike because they go beyond simply showing a realistic place and instead encourage viewers to imagine the hidden stories, memories and spiritual meanings behind the painting using imagination and with what you see.
Wiping back wet paint allows John Walsh to reveal light underneath the layers of pigment, creating a translucent, glowing effect. This technique adds depth to his landscapes and makes the light appear to shine through paint, giving the scene a dreamlike and mysterious atmosphere. It also creates a contrast between the soft, luminous areas and the darker, more abrasively textured landforms. By using this technique, Walsh makes his landscapes feel less realistic and more like a memory or a spiritual vision, connecting the natural environment with Maori ancestral stories.
Luminous: Something that gives off light or appears to glow. In John Walsh’s paintings, luminous areas make the landscape look magical and dreamlike.
Glaze: A thin, transparent layer of paint applied over another layer to create depth, colour or a glowing effect.
Wiping back: A painting technique where wet paint is wiped away to reveal the layers or lighter colours underneath, creating highlights and revealing light.
Atmospheric transition: Atmospheric transition is a gradual change in colour, light or tone that helps different parts of a landscape blend together, creating depth and a mysterious atmosphere.
Pigment: Pigment is a coloured material in paint that gives it colour.
Ancestral Narrative: An ancestral narrative is a story passed down through beliefs, history and connections to the land. In Walsh’s art, this can be suggested through mysterious figures and landscapes connected to Maori heritage.
Technical inference:
Applying thin, transparent glazes allows light to pass through the layer of paint, creating a soft, glowing effect that makes Walsh’s landscapes appear dreamlike and mysterious. In contrast, thick, opaque paint creates rougher textures, making the landforms look solid and rugged. By combining these techniques, Walsh contrasts the luminous sky and water with the darker land, creating an otherworldly atmosphere that encourages viewers to imagine the spiritual meanings hidden within the environment.
Visual analysis
Walsh uses soft-edged colour gradients to blend the landforms and mysterious figures smoothly into their surroundings, making the boundaries appear less defined. This creates a dreamlike, mysterious atmosphere, making the landscape feel almost unreal and suggesting a spiritual connection between Maori ancestors and the natural environment.