Male and Female (DSB and JPM), Charles Clough

The piece Male and Female by Charles Clough is a cacophonous, abstract representation of the male and female minds as seen by the artist. Charles Clough was born in 1951 in Buffalo, NY. He went to school at Pratt Institute, Ontario College of Art, State University of New York at Buffalo, and New York University. Later he became a prominent member of the art community and in 1974 he co-founded Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center. His art has been featured in many exhibits in both solo and group exhibitions. Male and Female is a collage with enamel that measures 69 ¼ inches tall by 37 ¾ inches wide. The masterpiece shows Clough’s interpretation of the male and female mind, which can be a very confusing thing. The painting is in two parts: the right side is female and the left side is male. The right side is a blur of colors and designs expertly placed to catch and keep the viewer’s eye. There is an eye near the top of the canvas that looks female; the dark, full lashes and elegant shaping of the eye make this clear. As your eyes move down the canvas you see the swirls and bold colors of the female side. These may represent how women are an enigma you never know what you are going to find. As you turn the corners of the maze that is the female mind, there are surprises that side-track you and keep you from you main goal. The painting copies this; the intricate designs distract you from looking at the whole painting and draw you in until you are wracking your brain trying to find an explanation of why Clough would put that design there or those colors next to the other ones. As you lean closer you see the pictures that the paint partially covers. This just adds to the mystery of this masterpiece. Like a scavenger hunt, you don’t want to stop until you have found everything. A cover of a book, a painting of a room from about the 1700s, and a picture of musical instruments are just a few of the pictures in this piece of art. The left of the artwork, the male side, may look similar at first glance, but look closely: there are major differences just like men and women in real life. The eye near the top of the canvas has fewer lashes and is more masculine. The colors are darker and the patterns are less confusing. As you look down the canvas you see how the smears of paint have fewer swirls and more lines. This represents the bluntness that men possess. As your eyes travel the painting, you see the blending but sharp angles of the paint. The blending may show how some men can let their feelings influence their decisions and their actions. The sharp angles and movement of the brush may show how quickly some men can change their minds and be hot one second and cold the next. Male and Female showcases Charles Clough’s eye for detail and amazing creativity and his interpretation of the male and female minds. When the viewer looks at the painting they will get an inside look into Charles Clough’s unique mind.