“Sad and Happy Tidal Wave,” a figurative artwork created by Jennifer Bartlett in 1978, showcases a distinctive blend of abstraction and representation. The artwork, executed on a grid background, features two main panels that visually narrate contrasting moods.
In the artwork, the left panel exhibits a dense, chaotic composition brimming with darker hues and sharp, angular shapes suggesting a tumultuous and somber atmosphere. In contrast, the right panel displays a lighter, more fluid arrangement of softer lines and cooler colors, evoking a sense of calm and happiness. The juxtaposition of these two contrasting panels on a shared grid backdrop underscores the thematic duality of sadness and happiness as experienced in the tidal waves of emotion.
