Myles Roznowski- Myles in Yellow And Red-Violet, A Self-Portrait

Myles Roznowski

Myles In Yellow And Red-Violet, A Self- Portrait

Intro to Painting

Acrylic on Canvas

Fall, 2013

Current BFA Applicant

 If you’ve met Myles Roznowski then you already know that he is the artist of this portrait. The resemblance is stunning, right down to his signature smile. What initially draws the viewer to this piece is Roznowski’s use of yellow and red violet. The colors together create a feeling of warmth that spreads over the whole canvas. When asked about his work, Roznowski said, “I tried not to use tints or shades of either the yellow or red violet because it would've taken away from the very saturated look I was going for. So instead, I would add more orange to the yellow or more blue to the violet for the shadows and leave the two colors in their natural state for the highlights. I did end up having to use a little white for the extreme highlights though.” This technique is apparent in Roznowski’s piece by the effective shadows and highlights he creates that define the face and neck.

Paying careful attention to human anatomy, Roznowski captures the bone structure of the skeleton underneath the skin. Creating the image of his face and upper body in perfect proportion. For this piece, Roznowski also creates a central composition, with horizontal bands of color as the background. The composition is also weighted more towards the bottom of the canvas, but the eye is drawn upward from the face to the thick red violet horizontal bands near the top. Roznowski’s gaze is direct on the viewer, he smiles slightly, just enough so that the viewer doesn’t look away.

Ellsworth Kelly, LACMA Exhibition, 2012

When asked about his choice of background, Roznowski replied that because there were no requirements for the background, he chose a geometric approach. He continues to say that geometric designs are appealing to him, and it is apparent that he incorporates them into his work. Roznowski also adds interest to the background by using a variety of thickness when creating the bands of color. Creating less negative space between the bands at the bottom and more towards the top. The background also remains somewhat ambiguous, like the works of hard edge painters, there is almost no distinction between foreground and background. The bands of color also meet with sharp, precise lines, much like the works of Ellsworth Kelley and other Hard Edge Painters.  Overall, the painting gives you a feeling for Roznowski, warm, precise, and cheerful, a true self-portrait. 

Alison Bur

Gallery Assistant

University Art Gallery

Saginaw Valley State University