Revenge of the Goldfish by Sandy Skoglund
Essay by Jade Hays
1st Place (tie), Division 2, 2014 Jerry Tollifson Art Criticism Open
School: The Summit Country Day School, Teacher: Jan Wiesner, Southwest Region
The Revenge of the Goldfish by Sandy Skoglund is a very interesting piece. The setting is a
monochromatic turquoise bedroom, although there are bright orange fish swimming around. The
installation art is very regular with a surrealistic twist. If there were not monochromatic fish swimming
around it would be a bedroom with regular everyday furniture. I love how Sandy used human models
to complete the piece. The fish are pointing to the boy making the bot the main focal point. The ceiling
shimmers like fish scales, yet the rest of the bedroom is flat, and completely turquoise. This piece is
very puzzling. It is very surreal, the people seem to be sleeping while there are hundreds of fish
swimming around them. The colors complement each other very well.
The turquoise makes the orange pop! The title is very strange yet true. This piece has so much
depth. You wonder what this story has to tell about Sandy. I believe Sandy was thinking the goldfish
are imprisoning the people like we would do to our pet goldfish. The people seem to not see that the
goldfish swimming around them. Like we would not realize that we were imprisoning innocent
goldfish. I believe that with every pet, we do not realize that we are taking them from their home,
family, and friends.
The piece shows that we can change too. I believe the boy who is sitting up, is starting to
realize what he has done. Yet the lady on the other side of the bed, still hasn’t realized that she needs
to be more aware of what she has done. I believe that the mirror represents that the goldfish are
dreaming that maybe one day they can go home. I believe that because the goldfish almost seem to be
swimming through the mirror. The piece shows that we can change.
We just have to realize what we have done. If we don’t wake up from this nightmare of a
reality, there will be consequences. If that does happen, there will be no way to get out of it. I think
that all the goldfish on the floor are dying because of us. I love this piece because it helps us realize
that we need to be aware of our surroundings. Sandy Skoglund is a very interesting and new artist
trying to make a stand with her art.
Revenge of the Goldfish by Sandy Skoglund
Essay by Molly Ragland
1 Place (tie), Division 2, 2014 Jerry Tollifson Art Criticism Open
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School: The Summit Country Day School, Teacher: Jan Wiesner, Southwest Region
What I see in the photograph ‘Revenge of the Goldfish’ by Sandy Skoglund is a boy and a
girl, but only the boy is awake. I like how this photograph is monochromatic, all one color. The boy
is surrounded with goldfish made of terracotta clay. The orange color of the clay compliments the
blue color of the room. The fish seem to be pointing toward the center which draws the eye to the
boy that is sitting on the side of the bad, awake. I find that the attention is drawn to the boy
because he is a lighter color than the rest of the painting creating a visual focal point. The title
‘Revenge of the Goldfish’ makes you wonder. What are they getting revenge for? Is this the boy’s
dream? Does the fact that the room is blue have something to do with water?
I like the use of human models in the photograph. It helps draw more attention to the
center of the photograph where the two human models are located. The goldfish seem to be
searching the room by going through drawers, going under the bed, and climbing on the bed. The
photograph seems like a dream considering there are many goldfish floating in the air and the
whole room is blue. When I look at the photograph I wonder why the boy acts like he does not
know what is going on in the room. I think the photograph is probably a dream or the boy is
hallucinating because of something that happened that day.
I enjoy how the use of everyday furniture in the room. It helps the photograph seem more
real, and the color of the room and the floating goldfish helps the photo seem more like a dream.
This is what creates the surrealistic imagery in the photograph. I think the artist chose blue as the
color to represent an aquarium. I also think the artist wants us to think about what was happening
in the photograph and how it was related to the name ‘Revenge of the Goldfish’. She probably
meant for it to be the dream of the awake boy. I think he probably had something happen that
was related to goldfish and so he had a dream about it.
Christina’s World by Andrew Wyeth
Essay by Julia Enwright
2nd Place, Division 2, 2014 Jerry Tollifson Art Criticism Open
School: Our Lady of the Visitation, Teacher: Melanie Greiner, Southwest Region
Without art the world would be colorless and dull. By just looking at a piece of art, a person
can feel jubilant or melancholy; art can even leave a person feeling a sense of awe and wonder.
Christina’s World, a painting by Andrew Wyeth, is a serene landscape painting that has inspired me
to look more closely at works of art. Mr. Wyeth uses precise, intricate brush strokes to make the
painting look three-dimensional. Through Mr. Wyeth’s striking handiwork, I feel that I am part of
this stunningly beautiful painting.
Christina’s World shows a young girl lying in a rural field in the summer. The light brown,
yellow-greenish grass looks rough and itchy. Christina, the main focus of the painting, looks like a
desperate girl as she lays in the barren field and reaches out for the unknown. The lonely girl is
wearing a light peach dress that reminds me of a beautiful flower in the dry grass. Her dark,
chestnut brown hair is falling out of a messy, tangly bun and is starting to flow down her back. The
drab, abandoned farm houses in the background remind me of rough, country life.
I love this exquisite piece of art because it makes me feel peaceful and somber at the same
time. This painting makes me feel somber because the bewitching girl is reaching out for
something she can’t get to. Christina seems to need something in her life that will just make her
want to be herself and be happy. I am at peace when I look at this painting because, even though
the girl seems sad, there is always hope that she will find what she is looking for. I think she is
reaching out for love.
Art brings life to the world and can help you appreciate everyday sights. Through his use of
vivid color and precise, elaborate brush strokes, Mr. Wyeth brings an ordinary scene to life in his
painting, Christina’s World. When looking at this painting, I feel that I am there with Christina and I
can reach out and help her.
Christina’s World by Andrew Wyeth
Essay by Lauren Hunter
3rd Place, Division 2, 2014 Jerry Tollifson Art Criticism Open
School: Our Lady of the Visitation, Teacher: Melanie Greiner, Southwest Region
When I looked at Christina’s World by Andrew Wyeth, I saw a beautiful, young girl with
dark as night hair and a stunning pink dress. She lies on the grass looking at her house letting her
cares fly away. I see the green, big grand house a rundown fence, falling apart by the seams. The
house looks cozy for a farmhouse. The barn is a great size for animals of all sorts. The grass is light
in some areas but dark and long in others. It makes it look like half is cut, but some has not been
cut in ages.
I loved the organization of this piece with curvy lines full of great detail. The colors of the
barn and house look amazing with light and dark green shaded perfectly. The grass is a perfect
combination of yellow, dark yellow, gold, light brown, and a little green. It was a great
combination of warm colors with a hint of cool colors. The texture of the house makes it look very
real. The lines of the girl’s body make her look pretty and realistic. It is a great two dimension
drawing.
I think what is happening is the girl took a break from her life and went to sit in her yard
with the wind blowing hard. She has been having problems with her parents and with the farm.
She wants to take a break from the yelling and fighting. She wants to push all her cares away. She
wants to have her life back, and wants it to go back the way it used to be.
I love the artwork! I love how all the colors blend together with the light and dark shades.
The texture flows nicely together with the different lines. I would totally want this piece of artwork
in my house. This is one of the most interesting pieces I have seen. Overall, I love the colors, lines,
the different textures, and the piece itself.