Ways of Life Essay #6

Daniel Glynn- Essay #6

Ways of Life

The short three letter word art is not such a small matter when you think of all the things that deal with art. Art can range from a three year old lying on the living room floor scribbling on a piece of paper to Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting “The Mona Lisa.” Art is not only on a canvas or piece of paper, but art can also be a rock turned into a magnificent sculpture, notes on a piece of paper turned into a peaceful rhythm floating through the air, or a script acted out by dedicated actor.

Recently I visited an art exhibit and was able to see several different kinds of art. At this art show art seemed to be defined as several different things. One definition of art was just a lot of little piece of newspaper all bundled into a big ball. Art was also defined as its classic definition by just putting paint onto a canvas and turning it into a thing of beauty. This art show was a very good show that displayed a kind of art for everyone.

While most of the pieces had there own meanings, two of the pieces really captured my attention. One of them was an untitled piece, which really enables you to open your mind and uncover the meaning of the work, by Kevin Wilson. The first time I walked by this piece an eerie feeling came over me. As I made my way back around the second time I stopped and took a closer look at the piece.

In the upper left hand corner of this piece there is a human figure that stands out in the jet black background, and this figure has short white line coming from its head. The short white lines form a halo around the head, and this portrays this figure as God. There is also a stream coming out of a cloud and into a large silhouette of a man, which is the center of the piece. The stream goes straight into the part of the head where the brain is located. This stream is showing how God has his influences on our decisions.

In the upper left hand corner there are eight human figures. These eight figures have been brought up from the center of the piece, and their bright sky blue face show that the figures have reached their eternal home.

In the dull blue middle portion of this piece there are several human figures scattered throughout. All of the people in this portion seem to be going through some kind of torture. There is also a puddle of a bright blue with six figures standing in it waiting for their time to go to heaven. There is also a door that has a person coming out of it and being sent up to heaven. This portion represents purgatory because it has people in it being tormented and waiting for their time to get into heaven.

At the bottom of the picture there are two figures and one of them has an “x” on their chest. There is also a little door with a gray beam coming out of it and shining on a figure with horns. This part of the picture is showing hell and that the devil will also try to have influences on you.

Another piece that caught my eye was a sculpture by Katie McClung called Birmingham versus Broccoli. This piece starts at the forearm and extends all the way to the tips of the fingers. The entire sculpture is made of steel, and there are pairs of notches going down the arm about every two inches on all sides. The fingers on the hand are all bent they look like they are grasping for something that is now gone. On the hand there is a piece of broccoli between every one of the fingers. When first looking at this sculpture it does not seem as deep and complicated as the first piece, but after taking a longer look ideas about the sculpture began to come to me.

This piece has the title Birmingham versus Broccoli and I believe that the name says a lot about why the hand is grasping. Birmingham has been known as a steel city since 1899 when steel was first manufactured in the city, and neither the city or the area were known for their agriculture. The steel hand looking for something to grab on to is symbolic of the steel industry falling off and the rise of agriculture and the rise of agriculture is shown by the broccoli on the handing. Therefore this sculpture is symbolic of more then just this idea. It can be symbolic of the entire economy and the rise and fall of all the different markets.

After taking a close look at both of these pieces I noticed that some of the same ideas are trying to be expressed through the art. In the first picture the artist is showing both sides of the after life along with purgatory. He is also showing how a person is exposed to both the good and evil and it is your choice of how you choose to live. In the second piece the artist is giving a message about the fall of something that has dominated over pervious centuries.

Both of the pieces gave worthy messages, and the way the artist presented their messages were in unique ways. Kevin Wilson was able to reveal his message by showing that a person has options, and that the options that you choose will lead you to how you will spend eternity. Katie McClung displayed her message in a different way. She communicated her message by showing an example of steel falling to agriculture by showing a steel hand being taking over by broccoli, and the rise and fall of different markets.

As I said earlier, both of theses pieces of art display there messages in unique and effective way. If I was to hear about another art show by this group I would defiantly attend. Not only would I attend the show I would also tell other people about it. I would tell them that no matter what kind of art they like, most likely there will be a piece in the show that they will have some kind of interest in. This show did a fantastic job of displaying all of there different styles and having something there for everyone.