Tyler's Thought on 20th Century Art

The Abolitionist movement can be considered the largest revolt against the government in United States History. Because of its popularity (I know a lot about that topic), and unpopularity for that matter, it was one of the most artistically covered topics by painters across the world. There is one artist that stands out, his name is Jacob Lawrence and his work is featured at Ackland Art Museum in Chapel Hill. His art is unique because he is an African American painting a white protagonist. Lawrence painted 22 pictures dedicated to John Brown, an American abolitionist who was most well known for his violent uprisings. The pictures focus most on the actual figure of John Brown and his message of violence against pro-slavery southerners. I focused on the final painting of the series, a painting that depicts the hanging of John Brown for treason against the state of Virginia, killing 5 pro slavery men and leading a slave insurrection. In painting 22 of the series, dedicated to the anti-slavery movement, Lawrence uses a simple style portraying Brown as a dark figure ascending into the blue sky, dying for his beliefs.

The first thing you notice about the picture is John Brown seeming to be left just hanging. Side note: on the matter of leaving people hanging don’t do it fellas; you’ll have to actually be nice to make it up to her. Anyway this is strange because generally you can see the hanging platform or even the ground in a picture such as this. I believe this was done on purpose to represent a sort of ascension into heaven. Because John Brown was seen as almost a saint to the anti slavery cause many black believed his death was martyrdom. He also didn’t want to associate Brown with the other men on earth, which if they were attending this hanging were probably slave owning men. If you look at his eyes there are clearly close representing he is already dead and all that is left is his body. Lawrence made a point not to show Brown suffering in his death but giving him an expression of almost peace and self content; as he knew he did everything he could to fight the war for black freedom.

The use of color in this painting is uncomplicated but very important. He uses only basic colors and does not mix colors between the images. He does this to create a strong realist image of the passing of John Brown. Brown is dressed in all back, typical for the representation of death; don’t do this on the daily- it freaks girls out. The colors are also very bold not using light or watery looking paint. He does this to rub the statement in your face and make you confront the problem of what is happening in the picture. As regular man Brown seems to be elongated in this picture, almost larger than life. It was definitely meant to portray him as a major figure. The background colors in this painting are also important. They are not dark and gloomy but are bright blue. This means that the sky is seen as a happy place where one would aspire to venture.

In the picture you also notice the lack of detail, my personal thoughts are to never leave a body’s detail unexamined but then again I’m not an artist. However I believe the reasons for this lack of specific elements is so that the painting really encompasses the true meaning of the event and does not get lost behind fancy clothes and pretty skylines. It is all about the message behind the work and not so much the actual painting itself. To add to the realism is the shape of the painting. It is a very rectangular painting, almost like a window frame that looks into another world outside. The other interesting thing about the piece of work is that it is unsigned. While most artist put their names in the corner of their work Lawrence does not. Again this represents the painting is not mean to bring him fame or wealth but to really rely a message to all those who did not experience such tragedies as slavery themselves.

Along with analyzing the style of the painting, it is important to understand why the painting was done and who its message was directed towards. As mentioned earlier Jacob Lawrence is and African American who grew up in the age of the Harlem Renaissance and the idea that blacks should fight for their culture and respect, rage on my brothas. Now Lawrence didn’t only paint one picture of Brown, he did 22. They went in a series showing the stages of his uprisings and the effects they had along the way. He really wanted to highlight Brown’s whole life and all the time and effort he put into his revolutionary ideas. Each picture in the series follows the same artistic style. The paintings use bright colors and defined figures as to create a realistic image. His series also follows a very in your face theme of death and destruction. All the pictures prior to the last one are showing the violent planning and actual events John Brown partook in, including Pottawatomie Massacre, Bleeding Kansas and the raid at Harpers Ferry. All of the paintings lead up to my final piece of his death by hanging. This last bold message is almost a warning to all those involve; watch your back you could be next.

While the purpose of these painting are to reach the emotions of those involved in the anti slavery movement or those who appreciated it, they can also be seen as painting of joy to those who didn’t appreciate it. All art is to be viewed and taken in as an individual’s thought, and how an individual thinks is based on where they stand in society. For instance I believe making fun of other people is funny, but this is only because no one has the balls to make fun of me. If I were 5 feet tall and wore glasses I believe I wouldn’t think it was so funny after all. Based on this logic one can conclude that some people view this art and are glad to rest their eyes on the final piece of the collection where Brown is hung. While some look at the painting and see ascension and the death of a truly great man. The first thing you notice about the picture is John Brown seeming to be left just hanging. Side note: on the matter of leaving people hanging don’t do it fellas; you’ll have to actually be nice to make it up to her. Anyway this is strange because generally you can see the hanging platform or even the ground in a picture such as this. I believe this was done on purpose to represent a sort of ascension into heaven. Because John Brown was seen as almost a saint to the anti slavery cause many black believed his death was martyrdom. He also didn’t want to associate Brown with the other men on earth, which if they were attending this hanging were probably slave owning men. If you look at his eyes there are clearly close representing he is already dead and all that is left is his body. Lawrence made a point not to show Brown suffering in his death but giving him an expression of almost peace and self content; as he knew he did everything he could to fight the war for black freedom.The use of color in this painting is uncomplicated but very important. He uses only basic colors and does not mix colors between the images. He does this to create a strong realist image of the passing of John Brown. Brown is dressed in all back, typical for the representation of death; don’t do this on the daily- it freaks girls out. The colors are also very bold not using light or watery looking paint. He does this to rub the statement in your face and make you confront the problem of what is happening in the picture. As regular man Brown seems to be elongated in this picture, almost larger than life. It was definitely meant to portray him as a major figure. The background colors in this painting are also important. They are not dark and gloomy but are bright blue. This means that the sky is seen as a happy place where one would aspire to venture.In the picture you also notice the lack of detail, my personal thoughts are to never leave a body’s detail unexamined but then again I’m not an artist. However I believe the reasons for this lack of specific elements is so that the painting really encompasses the true meaning of the event and does not get lost behind fancy clothes and pretty skylines. It is all about the message behind the work and not so much the actual painting itself. To add to the realism is the shape of the painting. It is a very rectangular painting, almost like a window frame that looks into another world outside. The other interesting thing about the piece of work is that it is unsigned. While most artist put their names in the corner of their work Lawrence does not. Again this represents the painting is not mean to bring him fame or wealth but to really rely a message to all those who did not experience such tragedies as slavery themselves. Along with analyzing the style of the painting, it is important to understand why the painting was done and who its message was directed towards. As mentioned earlier Jacob Lawrence is and African American who grew up in the age of the Harlem Renaissance and the idea that blacks should fight for their culture and respect, rage on my brothas. Now Lawrence didn’t only paint one picture of Brown, he did 22. They went in a series showing the stages of his uprisings and the effects they had along the way. He really wanted to highlight Brown’s whole life and all the time and effort he put into his revolutionary ideas. Each picture in the series follows the same artistic style. The paintings use bright colors and defined figures as to create a realistic image. His series also follows a very in your face theme of death and destruction. All the pictures prior to the last one are showing the violent planning and actual events John Brown partook in, including Pottawatomie Massacre, Bleeding Kansas and the raid at Harpers Ferry. All of the paintings lead up to my final piece of his death by hanging. This last bold message is almost a warning to all those involve; watch your back you could be next.While the purpose of these painting are to reach the emotions of those involved in the anti slavery movement or those who appreciated it, they can also be seen as painting of joy to those who didn’t appreciate it. All art is to be viewed and taken in as an individual’s thought, and how an individual thinks is based on where they stand in society. For instance I believe making fun of other people is funny, but this is only because no one has the balls to make fun of me. If I were 5 feet tall and wore glasses I believe I wouldn’t think it was so funny after all. Based on this logic one can conclude that some people view this art and are glad to rest their eyes on the final piece of the collection where Brown is hung. While some look at the painting and see ascension and the death of a truly great man. ">

Tyler's Thought on who likes Jackson Pollock and Who Thinks his Art looks like a Kindergarden Project

Jackson Pollock drips and throws paint on canvases. Many people question his artistic abilities and call his work no more than Childs play. His work is most certainly abstract, but the real question is does it have meaning, like the NFL’s make a wish foundation. There is quite a division of opinions when the public is asked. Many art critics believe Pollock is the most revolutionary artist since the abstract movement began. However many people in the general public do not understand and study his work as it is meant to be seen. When viewing Pollock’s paintings one must keep an open mind and take notice towards the deliberate use of color, placement and texture and paints or all meaning is lost as a blog on canvas.

Blogs are the most prevalent source of criticism towards Pollock’s work. This tends to be because of the many people writing them; while most are very intelligent and knowledgeable, many have only seen Pollock’s work on the internet and never had the opportunity to view it in person- I being very rounded have actually seen it in person. One blog in particular was very interesting- its title, Jack the Dripper. The author of this blog believes we will wake up one day and realize that much of the modern abstract art has been the biggest sham in history of art. They question its differentiability between art and pretty wallpaper. The author argues art should have form and structure so that it can represent real life and reality and that Jackson’s style is simply throwing paint on a whim with no real purpose.

Art critics overwhelmingly believe Jackson Pollock’s modernist work is extraordinary, ask my coach he’ll tell you what else is extraordinary. Anyway it is not hard to find such praise as they are in plentiful articles spanning across numerous databases. In Action Painting: Perspectives from Two Sides of the Atlantic, one such famous art critic in the 1950’s was Harold Rosenberg. He described Pollock’s art as “the gesture on the canvas was a gesture of liberation from value-political, esthetic moral and future declared a radical new aesthetic.” The paint on the canvas was not just thrown on without any care to placement but had purpose and structure. This type of action painting is to “not show a picture but to tell an event,” possibly the whole life of the artist.

Pollock was deemed this powerful artist by many because he was said to have influenced other artists, during and after his time. His genre of art can be seen in Helen Frankenthaler’s stained canvases to the poured sculptural form of Lynda Benglis all the way to Kazuo Shiraga of the avant-garde Gutai movement in Japan. His artwork is also studied in schools across the nation and copied by many aspiring artist. So while the public and art critics have many dissenting opinions, art is meant to be interpreted by the individual. You must see it for yourself and then pick as side, just as we are either Paton or Eli.Blogs are the most prevalent source of criticism towards Pollock’s work. This tends to be because of the many people writing them; while most are very intelligent and knowledgeable, many have only seen Pollock’s work on the internet and never had the opportunity to view it in person- I being very rounded have actually seen it in person. One blog in particular was very interesting- its title, Jack the Dripper. The author of this blog believes we will wake up one day and realize that much of the modern abstract art has been the biggest sham in history of art. They question its differentiability between art and pretty wallpaper. The author argues art should have form and structure so that it can represent real life and reality and that Jackson’s style is simply throwing paint on a whim with no real purpose.Art critics overwhelmingly believe Jackson Pollock’s modernist work is extraordinary, ask my coach he’ll tell you what else is extraordinary. Anyway it is not hard to find such praise as they are in plentiful articles spanning across numerous databases. In Action Painting: Perspectives from Two Sides of the Atlantic, one such famous art critic in the 1950’s was Harold Rosenberg. He described Pollock’s art as “the gesture on the canvas was a gesture of liberation from value-political, esthetic moral and future declared a radical new aesthetic.” The paint on the canvas was not just thrown on without any care to placement but had purpose and structure. This type of action painting is to “not show a picture but to tell an event,” possibly the whole life of the artist.Pollock was deemed this powerful artist by many because he was said to have influenced other artists, during and after his time. His genre of art can be seen in Helen Frankenthaler’s stained canvases to the poured sculptural form of Lynda Benglis all the way to Kazuo Shiraga of the avant-garde Gutai movement in Japan. His artwork is also studied in schools across the nation and copied by many aspiring artist. So while the public and art critics have many dissenting opinions, art is meant to be interpreted by the individual. You must see it for yourself and then pick as side, just as we are either Paton or Eli.">

Tyler's Thoughts on Jackson Pollock

The current record price for a painting sold is 140 million dollars, artist- Jackson Pollock. Pollock is most well known from his abstract style of painting called splatter painting. Many of these abstract paintings look like paint tossed on a canvas. While many art critics called this new style of painting a revolutionary movement, some believe the focus should concentrate on his more meaningful and personal style, his incorporation of American Indian Art.

Pollock’s style of painting was not always just some splatters on a piece of cloth like we think of today. Over 40 of his paintings were devoted to showing the culture of American Indians says the article From Raging Bulls to Miserable Drips. Pollock dedicated many years of his life studying Shamanic Rituals and greatly admired them. These rituals represent an outer sign of inner change. Most of the time these scared rituals involve drumming, dancing and rattling. You can look at many of his earlier pieces of work in comparison with traditional Native American paintings and seem many similarities. Some of the same images come up when comparing the two linked styles of artwork. Masks and dark colors are very prominent in that they represent the Shaman way of life and their cult like beliefs. He once quoted “I feel nearer, more a part of the painting, since this way I can walk round it, work from the four sides and literally be in the painting. This is akin to the methods of the Indian sand painters of the West.”

While Pollock did feel very linked to Indian art, it is not what gained him his name as one of the most famous and creative abstract artist to date. So you are probably wondering what made his artwork so great, why did everyone have their panties in a bunch over splatter. Well the answer is because he was the first to try such an approach to art; his revolutionary idea of what is called splattering painting changed the art world and how “good” artwork was perceived. During these later years Pollock turned subject towards water as an inspiration for his work according to Paths to Dissolution: Water and Abstract Art. The fluidity of the paint, to him seen as water, led to a more direct engagement with the paint, venturing further than any artist had gone before. The idea of water for Pollock became somewhat representation for his all his artwork. The title of his pieces began to reflect this all they all were linked to this vital resource. Amongst the most obvious of these examples are Water Figure,The JPater Bulland and Watery Paths.

The two authors of these articles clearing have a varying opinion on what Pollock’s most inspirational pieces were but they do agree that Pollock’s art followed a progression that allowed him to expand his horizons and become the influential artist he is seen as today. While one believes his African American Art style should be view all by itself and appreciated in a more singular manner and the other believes it was what inspired and led to his truly great work the splatter painting, they both agree Pollock posses a talent that is unmatched by many historical and modern artist. Pollock’s style of painting was not always just some splatters on a piece of cloth like we think of today. Over 40 of his paintings were devoted to showing the culture of American Indians says the article From Raging Bulls to Miserable Drips. Pollock dedicated many years of his life studying Shamanic Rituals and greatly admired them. These rituals represent an outer sign of inner change. Most of the time these scared rituals involve drumming, dancing and rattling. You can look at many of his earlier pieces of work in comparison with traditional Native American paintings and seem many similarities. Some of the same images come up when comparing the two linked styles of artwork. Masks and dark colors are very prominent in that they represent the Shaman way of life and their cult like beliefs. He once quoted “I feel nearer, more a part of the painting, since this way I can walk round it, work from the four sides and literally be in the painting. This is akin to the methods of the Indian sand painters of the West.”While Pollock did feel very linked to Indian art, it is not what gained him his name as one of the most famous and creative abstract artist to date. So you are probably wondering what made his artwork so great, why did everyone have their panties in a bunch over splatter. Well the answer is because he was the first to try such an approach to art; his revolutionary idea of what is called splattering painting changed the art world and how “good” artwork was perceived. During these later years Pollock turned subject towards water as an inspiration for his work according to Paths to Dissolution: Water and Abstract Art. The fluidity of the paint, to him seen as water, led to a more direct engagement with the paint, venturing further than any artist had gone before. The idea of water for Pollock became somewhat representation for his all his artwork. The title of his pieces began to reflect this all they all were linked to this vital resource. Amongst the most obvious of these examples are Water Figure,TheJPater Bulland Watery Paths. The two authors of these articles clearing have a varying opinion on what Pollock’s most inspirational pieces were but they do agree that Pollock’s art followed a progression that allowed him to expand his horizons and become the influential artist he is seen as today. While one believes his African American Art style should be view all by itself and appreciated in a more singular manner and the other believes it was what inspired and led to his truly great work the splatter painting, they both agree Pollock posses a talent that is unmatched by many historical and modern artist.">

Suzie's Thoughts on Whitworth's Photograph and Trash

One of the photographs in T. Coke Whitworth's Zionville, NC series is a digital print depicting a bare, wooded area interspersed with people's unwanted and used personal items. The used tires, couches, and bins look more like trash than used particles, though, primarily because these items are not in their correct environment. Instead, the photo immediately sends signals of disgust and disappointment to the viewer because of the man-made trash that is encompassing the natural habitat and wildlife, a scene that is becoming much too familiar in today's society.

Sunshine, lively deer and squirrels, green leaves, and newly budding flowers are non-existant in Whitworth's photo. The background is grey, the trees are bare, and no animals are in sight. Bright colors are completely absent, even the chairs and couches are dim and bland. The picture appears lifeless. Man's trash is overcoming nature, something we're all aware of by now, and this confiscatement of nature's habitats is blatantly obvious in Whitworth's snapshot. There is nothing abstract or mysterious about this piece of art. I immediately felt distress and anger when I saw the trashed woods. Man is taking over natural ecosystems, and in turn, animals all over the world, and especially in the US, are quickly losing their homes.

Too many people are wasteful in today's society, and this immense problem is honestly and readily depicted in the photograph. One of the objects in the foreground is a tasteless picture of a naked woman which is tacked to a tree. My eyes were initially drawn to this segment of the photo because it is one of the first objects in focus, and I automatically became disgusted. Because this feeling had already originated in my mind, it would be difficult to turn the mood in a different direction. I therefore think that Whitworth originally wanted pull his viewers' focuses in on this artificial and vulgar commodity in order to give them a taste of what the rest photograph was going to entail. Once my eyes wandered over the remaining pieces of the photo and I saw the lack of life, the trash, and the wastefullness, the feeling of repulsion and outrage continued to accumulate.

The few ragged couches and chairs that appear in Whitworth's photo represent abandonment and desertion. They are turned over and look to have simply been thrown into the woods as if it were a landfill. As I stated earlier, the image seems to be lifeless, and this desertion of wildlife is exemplified by the empty, turned over, worn out furniture.

The grey, bland colors, lack of life, and trash in the woods that appear in Whitworth's photograph all point towards the growing social dilemma that man is taking over Earth's natural ecosystems. We are taking too many things for granted, and instead of trying to fix the problem by using composts, recycling, etc., too many people continue to dump their used items in woods, fields, and other wildlife habitats. The photo is difficult to look at, because it reminds us that scenes like the one Whitworth captured exist in more places than they should. But hopefully, the more viewers that witness Whitworth's realistic photos, the more people will realize that it is imperative we change the way we are living our lives.

Suzie's Thoughts on Andy Warhol and Mao

Andy Warhol's large, fifteen-foot painting of Mao Tse-tung reflects the immense impact that the Chinese leader had on the country. The head-on, close up, enormous portrait of Mao's face portrays his importance and dominance of the Chinese people to Warhol's audience. Although Mao remains a controversial figure to this day, Warhol's painting was not meant to represent his personal and political views about the leader, but rather to represent Mao's influence and to perhaps make facetious assertions about a serious topic.

Once the viewer recognizes the magnitude and importance of Mao, his or her eyes then focus on the painting itself. The brushstrokes, colors, texture, and medium, catch the viewer's eyes because they are what is seen when one is close to the painting. The viewer can only see the larger picture of Mao from a much farther distance. Large, thick brushstrokes form the majority of Mao's green shirt (not a very flattering shade of green, I must add) and the blue background. Both of these colors strikingly contrast with Mao's orange-colored face. These are the three primary colors of the color wheel, and they essentially comprise Warhol's painting. Because primary colors are used, there is not much mixing or blending of the foreground with the background. Mao is the prominent focus of the piece, and neither he nor his green shirt blend with the blue background whatsoever. Rather, the use of contrasting colors furthers one of Warhol's goals: to make Mao's stand out from the background thereby signifying his grand historical importance.

Because the image already existed before Warhol and speaks for itself, he simply used it as a referance piece. Therefore, Warhol's purpose wasn't to express his personal or political views about the leader, but rather to show his significance. It appears that some blue highlighting appear on Mao's eyelids, along with a hint of pink brushed on his lips. Because of these observations, the author of "Andy Warhol's Mao, 1973", Anne Rorimer, argues that Mao's blue eyeshadow and slightly pink lips signify a type of mockery about superficiality and perfection within our society. However, I originally did not agree with her assertion. At first thought, I believed that the colors bring some contrast and brightness to the painting, but were not used in a joking matter. However, based upon my knowledge about Warhol and his obsession with artificiality, perfection, and famous people, I then decided that the idea that Warhol might have used brighter colors to signify makeup on Mao is not out completely of the question. The possibility that Warhol created Mao with makeup on to create a jesting tone would coincide with what historians and art critics know about Warhol and his bizzare, flamboyant, mocking personality.

It is difficult to acknowledge the difference between the possiblity of artificial cosmetics and the fact that the blue and pink colors might have been used simply as a painterly substance to make the artwork more complete. Depending on one's views and previous knowledge about Warhol, this interpretation could greatly differ from person to person. Whether or not one agrees with Rorimer's analysis, I think it is safe to say that Andy Warhol was indeed a talented artist, and definitely made history with his unique assimilations of pop icons.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/4113141.pdf

Kevin's Thoughts On "The Dutchman"

When I first saw this painting at the Ackland Art Museum in Chapel Hill, I stopped. I lingered for a long time trying to understand what exact goal was behind this painting, which appeared to me at the first glance like a semi-skilled college student randomly dividing a canvas into a million sections with wavy lines, and coloring them in an extremely complex way. It is “The Dutchman,” by a Nigerian artist, Moyo Okediji. Its disconnected colors, curvy lines, swirled shapes, and complexity generated a sense of chaos and confusion. This painting, as I later realized, depicted a tale of the horrified and disorganized reality of the slaves on the Middle Passage “journey,” and demonstrated the social conflicts between them and the slave traders. Okediji attempted to remind the viewers of the suffering from the slavery and to reconnect African Americans to their heritage.

The painting was hard to make sense of at a distance. The reason was that its intense variety of colors, curves, and shapes prevented my eyes to focus on any particular part of the image. The dominating color throughout the painting seemed blue. Other colors included yellow, black, orange, purple, brown, etc. The colors were disconnected and they overlapped each other. Curved lines were everywhere, dissecting the image into various shapes and thus breaking the overral unity of the painting. A total chaos was how I described it. I feel dizzied by its complexity. So, I moved back and forth, from the left to the right, trying to view the painting from different angles and distance in attempt to fully grasp what the artist had depicted. I moved closer, squinting my eyes, and seemed to adjust my gazes to the right focal points as outlines of many people emerged. With the help of the placard, I realized that it was about the Dutch slave trade. A ship was labeled “DUTCH” in the upper right hand corner, and the slave traders made identifiable by their skin colors, stood with callous facial expressions. I also saw several slaves: in the middle of the painting, a slave was being held upside-down. Next to it to the left, a drowning slave, thrown into the deep Atlantic ocean full of sharks, was sticking his hand out of the water. These scenes clearly demonstrated the suffering of the slaves. As the description stated, it was a “voyage through death.”

Beyond depicting the surface scene of slave trade, Okediji managed to employ several techniques to force the viewers to actively perceive and helped them achieve emotional and physical connections with the slaves. The slave trade was one of the darkest period in human history. It was associated with torture, disease and hunger. However, Okediji used bright colors for most of the painting. It was not a message of optimism or hope or whatever good things that came along with bright color. The contrast and brightness of the colors simply created a strong visual impact and attracted the viewers’ attention at first glance. However, viewers could find it hard to quickly understand the painting because of its complexity. In order to sense the tragic and chaotic details, the viewers had to explore the painting with further examination. When closely looked at, the figures of people were not clearly defined. They are distorted, teared into several blocks. The wavy lines made it hard for the viewer to grasp the whole body of any figures. Each object seemed to be separated from the other. Within each of themselves, they are divided into numerous sections of different colors, creating a sense of movement. For example, the slave who was help upside down had black legs, blue body, brown arms and red hands. This break of unity symbolized the slaves’ disturbing, anxious and chaotic mentality. The curved lines also mimicked waves, thus they created wave -like motions and symbolized instability.

The sparkling colors created distractions. It made it impossible for viewers to focus on one figure for a long time. Okediji forced the viewers to move their eyes all over the painting through the wavy lines, making it hard for them to distinguish separate parts of the painting. In this process, viewers would experience confusion and chaos, which were exactly what the slaves had gone through. Although I could not quite clearly identify each figure or object, everywhere I looked in the painting, I could catch glimpses of disturbing signs: tortured body, drowning men, crying woman and shocked faces. Okediji wanted the viewers to feel the pain, chaos and disorganization that his ancestors were going through. And viewers did not need to comprehensively understand each part of the painting to sense these sufferings that the slaves on the middle passage journey had to endure. The colors are also significant in another way. The massive blue not only depicted the Atlantic Ocean, it also symbolized African Americans’ blues music. Okediji wanted to reconnect the African Americans to their cultures and heritage. The active engagement from the viewers could lead them into thinking. People would reflect back to this dark history and establish the emotional and physical connections with the slaves.

Okediji was telling a story in this painting. It was a documentary of the suffering of the slaves in the Middle Passage. As an artist of African heritage, Mayoto Okediji felt his ancestors’ pain as a result of slavery. It was this realization that inspired him. Being an art insensitive person myself, I stared at this image in Ackland Art Museum for nearly an hour to finally see through it. It dazzled me. It’s worth it.

Kevin's Thoughts on "Self Portrait With Bandaged Ear and Pipe"

Van Gogh’s “Self Portrait With Bandaged Ear And Pipe” passes on a message not only of his overwhelming physical suffering, but also of extreme mental despair, fear, and immense anxiety. The sallow face, bandaged ear, and shrinking chicks convey his unhealthiness. His distorted eyes signal hopelessness; the completely covered up body with multiple layers of clothes, rough and flat use of color, and the burning pipe reflect his spiritual instability and anxious mentality. Some, however, have different views towards this portrait. In article “Comparison of Van Gogh self-portraits,” the author argues that despite the pain and despair on the surface, the painting represents calmness, order and peace of mind. I certainly disagree.

The portrait is a mirror reflection of Van Gogh, facing the viewers at a slight angle. The man is wrapped in a thick green winter jacket, wearing a black feather hat that one would only wear in severe coldness. However, the man is not in any outside wildness. Instead, he is sitting inside a rigid room, without windows or any other media through which the outside chillness can reach the room. Yet he wears his outdoor gears. It makes him look like he is so physically fragile and weak that he needs warmth to keep him alive. Beyond warmth, Van Gogh seems in need of protection and a sense of security. His spiky hat looks defensive, jacket buttoned up, like a shell, demonstrating his fear confronting the harsh reality. Thus, he wraps himself with everything he can to protect himself from the outside world.

Van Gogh expresses extreme sorrow and remorse. One of the most noticeable features in this painting is his unusual facial composition － the pallid face, soulless eyes along with the powerless lips. His face is thin and his complexion appears unhealthily yellow, giving the impression that he is aging significantly every second. The eyes are drawn not looking at you. The distance between them is noticeable closer than a normal, healthy person. They lack the sharpness, or sparks or reflection that can create three dimensional effect. Instead, they are dry and extremely flat, as if two random pieces sticked to the face. That reminds of me a hopeless person who stares at a mirror and looks at himself and is not expecting anything anymore. He appears dazed and lost. If eyes are the widows to the soul, Van Gogh’s window, apparently, is closed. Van Gogh has lost his physical strength as he can barely hold a pipe in his lips, which leans downward.

The color in this painting carries an emotional and spiritual message. It is somewhat monochromatic in a sense that the background is entirely composed of red and orange blocks. The author argues that Van Gogh expresses “emotional consolation and support through the stable shapes and colors of the background,” claiming that red establishes a secure base and orange above represents warmth. He sees the contrast between the foreground and background colors as complementary and in stable order; thus he concludes that Van Gogh has achieved order and control. However, the colors indicate different messages to me. I see anxiety. The contrast between the “hotness” in the background and the coldness the blue hat and green coat embody signals a sense of disturbance and inconsistency. Van Gogh have lost his patience to paint. Unlike many of his other paintings, such as “The Starry Night” and “The Sunflowers,” which contain a rich and subtle background, this portrait is filled with flat colors and looked very incoherent to the overall tone of the paint. It seems to me that Van Gogh simply throws whatever color he has next to him on the canvases on a whim. These drips have no particular meaning or purpose. Van Gogh did not want to modify it, instead, he wanted to get it over with the paint. The source of the inconsistency and roughness originates from his anxiety. Furthermore, the fact that Van Gogh is smoking a pipe also conveys his anxious mentality. Imagine when you come across a super hard problem in your math homework. You’ve been spending hours on it and still can’t figure it out. What would you do? If you are a smoker, I suppose you would light on a cigarette. Smoking is a natural outcome of anxiety and uneasiness.

Therefore I conclude, in this painting, Van Gogh is not only emaciated on the surface, but also broken on the inside. I admit that knowing the background of Van Gogh may change my interpretation, but nevertheless, you cannot say he is ready to go out and party.