the bride

what strikes me about "the Bride" is it's dimension. It is a two-paneled painting that reads as a narrative.
this painting defies inclination in that most narratives would be read from top to bottom, especially when panels are involved. Comics are read from top to bottom, but the amount of information in the bottom panel and the barren void in the top panel lead my eye first to the bottom panel and then up. Because this is the case, I will start at the bottom, which is natures way.
The Bottom panel is interesting because of the large form in the right hand corner. the propeller like object jutting out at the top of this form is very engaging because it is the largest continuing line that extends all the way out of the canvass. In this panel there is a continuous theme of grouping. the four circular objects on the far right side of the canvass, the triangular objects connected to one another and diving up and down through the axis of the propeller, the three wheels that seem to mechanically turn the propeller's base, the human like forms on the far left side of the canvass...all of these families of objects fall just short of meeting each other. This makes me feel as though I have caught all of these objects in the middle of some life-altering experience. Within seconds everything is going to change drastically. There is definitely an implied movement in this panel.

And on to the top panel. this panel contains far less information then its counterpart, making it feel very desolate to me. Like a wake between waves or a calm after a great battle. the cloud that hangs above the figure on the left hand side of the top panel is almost catroonish. This cloud reminds me very much of a thought or speech bubble from a comic strip. The fact that the three boxes in the cloud are blank makes me think that the overall sentiment of the characters in the painting is one of confusion or bewilderment. It could also be that these empty squares are supposed to portray a somber feeling. The wiry and "broken" look of the character in the left half the panel certainly makes me feel uneasy. He seems to be on his way.