I chose the artwork "Forest Fire" by Raden Saleh because I appreciate the emotion it conveys through the animals' faces and the meticulous detail. The intricate elements in the painting made it easier for me to create a design that holds significant meaning. What particularly captivated me were the varied color scales and the subtle details that enhance the overall composition. The themes I selected for this piece are nature and conservation. The elements of grass, buffalo horns, fire, and targets symbolize these themes. The target reflects how, due to global warming, a significant portion of forests catch fire, making wildlife vulnerable and helpless. In my research, I discovered that the painting is set in Central Java, with the coordinates being 111, and it was created in the year 1849. These numbers are incorporated into my design to add historical and geographical context.
For my artwork, I chose brighter colours for the background—such as red, green, white, and orange—and mixed them with duller colours like brown, dark green, dark red, and black to draw attention to smaller details. The bright white and red boxes symbolize fire and blood, while the orange and brown indicate the tiger's pattern. The grey horns at the bottom symbolize the buffalo, and the lush bright green represents the grass before disaster struck. I created layers by starting with the tiger's back, followed by the horns and grass to depict the pre-fire state. The red and white cubes symbolize the encroaching fire, while the numbers indicate the time the fire struck. The targets in my design highlight the message of global warming and its devastating impact on the environment.
By incorporating these elements and layers, I aimed to convey a powerful narrative about the effects of global warming on forests and wildlife. The use of varied colours and intricate details mirrors the complexity and depth of Raden Saleh's painting while adding my unique interpretation and message. Through this artwork, I hope to raise awareness about the importance of conservation and the need to protect our natural world from the consequences of climate change.