Answer

The Coalopolis by Ralph Larmann

The ‘Coalopolis’ was developed in 1959 by Ralph Larmann an American painter.  This was during the industrial revolution era. The work ‘Coalopolis’ is an acrylic paint form that depicts the modern manufacturing process and its effects on the environment. The size of the image is 40 x 60millimeters. The material utilized was a plastic polymer together with acrylic paint that dries faster and is water-resistant when dry (DeWitte, Ralph and Shields p.228). The polymer went through a glazing process that makes the image luminous. The message is clear, the painter wants the viewer to understand the disastrous relationship between industrialization and ecological damage.

Subject matter

Jones defines painting as a form of art that is used to convey a message, the painter’s imagination, feeling, or to describe an environment, event, or culture (Jones p.8). The play of shadows, colors, texture, and lights supports the painter to describe the reality on a surface or canvas (Jones p.11). This is evident in the ‘Coalopolis’.  The painting comprises an industrial landscape, a fictional town set up, and a twisting cloud of coal soot rising to the sky. The subject matter is the manufacturing process of coal and its effects on the environment. Another feature evident in the image is roads. They connect the industrial town to the outside world.

Formal analysis

Ralph Larmann uses the acrylic style of painting in the ‘Coalopolis’. This was dominant during the early 20th Century since it dries faster. The paint comprises pigments that suspend on polymer resin. Ralph used this form of paint because it supports his idea of the industrial revolution and its impending damage to the atmosphere. The plastic quality of the polymer reflects and brings the painting to life. In this piece, Ralph combines designs such as the glazing process used by Dutch painters like Van Eyck (DeWitte, Ralph and Shields p.228). The aim is to provide the image with a luminous effect.

Interpretation

The primary message in the image is the impending damage to the environment arising from industrial activities. The industrial activity in the image is the coal manufacturing process. During this period there was a great discovery that led to an adverse change in the economic sector. However, the painter points out the negative side of environmental contamination. There is air pollution from the coiled black smoke forming dark clouds. Second, there is soil pollution. A man is spreading the coal on the ground. The imagery in the paint show the devastating effects of coal mining (Cushing p.1775). Despite having numerous benefits in terms of energy generation it also has negative effects. These effects are felt in the modern environment changes such as global warming.

Historical contest

The central theme in the ‘Coalopolis’ is coal mining and its effects on the environment. The painter brings out the relationship between economic activities and environmental contamination. This was during the industrial revolution after the end of the Second World War.

The discovery of coal mining as a source of energy led to economic development and a rise in industries. The picture attempts to point out the future negative effects of current economic activities taking place during that period. The use of acrylic paint and the nature of the painting design shows the era in which the painter was born. This type of painting was discovered in 1950 to date and continues to influence modern art designs.

Figure 1: Coalopolis Painting