Visual Elements

Jake at New Viet Huong, by elizabeth Peyton painted in 1995.

New Viet Huong is an asian restaurant in New York City.  He is sitting at the restaurant having a couple of beers alone and watching someone or something.  This painting consists of variety of red orange, used as the positive space.  The angle of the painting is eye level.  It has balance and an asymmetrical oil painting on masonite.  Masonite is a kind of cardboard made from pressed wood fibers, which some artists use to paint on.  Peyton uses a lot of red orange, which makes her style unique.  In this painting Jake seems very mysterious. The rule of thirds used for the bottles on the table. The focal point is the way his eyes are focused on something or someone.  Emphasis is the negative space, the red orange paint.  Comeplementary colors used for his shirt and the walls. Subjective thought is still implied because we don't know what he is looking at or even thinking.  i think he sees a nice young lady walking in  the restaurant, and finds her interesting.