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Kim Temme
May 2, 2014
ART1C
Art Analysis
After searching the entire Crocker Art Museum, I worried that I would not find a painting
that would give me any type of feeling. Either I had seen the artworks before or they did not
meet the criteria. When I was about to give up hope, I spotted a painting that took over an entire
wall. It was Las Tropicanas painted by Eduardo Carrillo. The painting is quite amazing. It is like
a Surrealist painting with Day of the Dead skeletons doing a pyramid in the background.
Carrillos interpretations of various mythological deities gather together in the painting
(Crocker). Some of them look like ordinary human beings, while others have more abstract
qualities to them. Colors pop and your eyes are always finding something new. Through the use
of color, space, line, and value, Las Tropicanas evokes a feeling of wonder and excitement.
The colors of Las Tropicanas are anything but representational. They look like colors that
came straight out of the paint tube. Some of the figures in the painting are green or have a violet
hue to them. They are vibrant and heavily saturated, making them more playful and cartoony.
When colors are at their greatest intensity, they tend to vibrate and feel overwhelming.
Especially, when there is a lack of control when they are used. However, Carrillo had excellent
control. He used duller colors to make items recede and the highly saturated colors to bring
things forward. Since the colors are not something that would be seen in reality, I feel like I am
part of a dream. Bright colors, such as blues and oranges used for the skeletons, make me feel
happy and excited. It puts me in a good mood and gives me a sense of energy. Modern artists,
especially the Post-Impressionists and others after, used color to express different feelings and
emotions. Their goal was not to represent reality with its natural colors. They used saturated

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colors to evoke certain emotions. I think that the reason Carrillo chose such abstract colors was
because if he used duller colors, minimal colors like the Cubists, or natural colors, Las
Tropicanas would not have the same effect. It would lose all of the excitement and energy that it
has.
The use of space and perspective in Las Tropicanas are more representational than color;
however, it is beginning to gain some abstraction and become warped. When looking at the
painting, the viewer realizes that their point of view is from a figure on the ground. It places the
viewer in an interesting perspective. Carrillo probably did this so that the viewer could be part of
the painting. The painting would not have the same effect, if the perspective of the viewer were
from a standing view. A perspective from the ground causes us to stop a moment and realize
where we, as the viewer, are. It draws us in more and makes us feel the variety emotions that
Carrillo wants us to experience. With the crazy perspective, I feel like I am part of the painting
and I am included in the gathering that is occurring with all of the mythological deities and
animals. Since, Las Tropicanas uses several forms of perspective, such as two-point, we have a
great sense of depth. We, as the viewer, can tell that the painting recedes back and upward. The
buildings in the background have an exaggerated point of view. They recede upward too quickly
for the viewers perspective. The furthest building even tilts at a slight angle. Though the furthest
building warps a bit, it does not feel odd for it to be doing that. This entire painting feels like a
Surrealist painting of a dream. Carrillo understood perspective and space because his image does
not feel flat at all. However, twisting perspective ever so slightly gives the piece the feeling that
something is not quite right. It throws the viewer into that dream world more. Carrillos use of
space causes me to take a step back and wonder what type of world that I am about to enter.
Carrillos use of line in his painting is representational. His figures are not outlined, so
they do not have a cartoony feel to them. Any lines that do appear are used as highlights or

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shadows. They are not as noticeable as a heavy outline that occurs in a comic book. Actual lines
are not the only way Carrillo used line. He used implied lines. The figures gazes or bodies point
and guide the viewer around the entire painting. With the viewers gaze constantly moving, there
is activity and energy being created. I became excited when my gaze fell on something new.
There is also an implied line pointed directly at the viewer. The chameleon is looking at us,
making us feel involved with whatever is going on. We continue the chain of implied lines. I
think Carrillo did this so that the viewers become part of the painting and not to act passively.
Getting involved with the painting helps to prevent any passive behavior. Also, with the viewer
becoming involved, it allows them to feel the emotions that are going on the painting.
Value in Las Tropicanas is half representational and half abstract. It depends on which
figure or animal the viewer is looking at. A majority of Carrillos figures and animals show his
understanding of value. There is a smooth gradation of light and shadow giving the figures a
sense of form. Some of the other figures, such as the two on the right side of the painting, begin
to have an abstract form of value. For example, the female figure as a harsh highlight of yellow
on her hip. It is the same for the sitting man next to her. They do not have the same transition of
value as the other figures. Carrillo probably did this to show who the figures are. Some of the
figures are mythological deities and giving them a different look can show that they are not
human. It also helps support the idea that this painting is depicting something similar to a dream
and not reality.
Through his use of color, space, line, and value, Carrillo was able to create a piece that
depicted a dreamlike world that gives the feelings of wonder and excitement. I always notice
something new and it amazes me. He balances between which elements are representational and
abstract, and it produces a sense of energy that would not be created if he did not. They help
guide the viewer around the painting and draw them into Carrillos intended emotions.

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Work Cited
Crocker Art Museum. Museum label for Eduardo Carrillo, Las Tropicanas. Sacramento, 15 April
2014.

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Eduardo Carrillo, Las Tropicanas, 1974