And Then… You Just Smile
Moe Brooker
- 2003
- Color offset lithograph
- Image/sheet 21 9/16, x 21½ "
- 2009-61-11
About the Print
From the Artist
As an artist, new information and experiences are vital to my work. The shifting and selection of those bits and pieces of information that are most useful sparks and light into my creative processes. My need to know compels further exploration in the search for new ways of making images. The result of this pursuit is development and growth. Currently, my work continues to investigate the basic elements of line, point, plane, color and shape. My interest has shifted from the product to the process. A more descriptive discovery of choice is intrinsic to the process of making images. Though the concreteness of the final product is rewarding, the process—the yield of each option selected—is more powerfully satisfying.
—From Brandywine Workshop and Archives records
The title of this print, And Then… You Just Smile, sounds like the refrain of an old song. Can you see how the artist Moe Brooker moved his hand in one direction and then another? It seems as if he drew this work quickly, freely, and with vigor, imbuing it with an air of spontaneity and freshness. First impressions aside, this abstract image is structured the way great jazz compositions and improvisations are controlled, but also free.
The thin lines zipping across the center foreground, all straight except for the blue one bouncing through the air with rhythm and exuberance. The layering of colors, various lines, and forms seems to describe the interrelation of sounds and notes coming from different instruments as they are played together.
—From Brandywine Workshop and Archives records
Let's Look
- What words would you use to describe the mood of this work?
- How do the colors, lines, and shapes contribute to the mood?
- What kind of music does this artwork remind you of? Why?
- Imagine the kinds of sounds you would hear in this work. What lines and colors would be loud, soft, high, low, short, or long?
- What colors, lines, and shapes would best fit your favorite music?
Moe Brooker
American
Born Philadelphia, 1940
About the Artist
Philadelphia contemporary abstract painter Moe Brooker earned a BFA and MFA from Philadelphia’s Tyler School of Art and Architecture at Temple University and certification from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA). Brooker has won several lifetime achievement awards, including the Governor’s Award for Artist of the Year from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Medal of Achievement from the Philadelphia Art Alliance.
Brooker was a faculty member at the Cleveland Institute of Art and PAFA, as well as the first Bob Fox Distinguished Professor at Moore College of Art and Design, Philadelphia. Brooker’s work can be found in the permanent collections of the Studio Museum in Harlem, New York City; Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, AL; PAFA; The Art Gallery of Ontario; and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
—From Brandywine Workshop and Archives records
Curriculum Connections
Suggested Topics for Art Projects, Group Discussion, and Independent Writing
Art
Visual Expression
Explore visual expression by creating an abstract painting, drawing, or print. While listening to various music selections, paint or draw to the rhythm, energy, and mood. Discuss why particular colors, shapes, lines, and other elements capture the feel of the music. As an extension, create a color monoprint based on your drawing.
Compare and Contrast Artworks
Both Moe Brooker and Vincent D. Smith have created prints that evoke music and sound. Compare and contrast these prints. What kind of music does each evoke? How does each artist convey these feelings and sounds? Which has more resonance for you? Why? What type of music or musical event would most inspire you to make an artwork? Track your findings on a Venn diagram.
Language Arts
Analysis and Dialogue
If two distinctly different lines (or shapes or colors) in Brooker's print could have a conversation, what would they say to each other? Create a dialogue between them. Have them introduce themselves to each other, and explain why the artist put them in the scene.
In Your Opinion
"Painting is about making visible a thought or idea."
Consider Brooker's quote about his artwork. In your opinion, does And Then ... You Just Smile reflect the spirit of his words? How? If not, why not?
Social Studies
Brooker has said that the neighborhood where he grew up could be a dangerous place. He later added, "Artwork allowed me to say a lot about the world around me in a safe way." Think about challenging issues in your world. How can you address these concerns through art, writing or music?