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About the Exhibition: Theme |
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Humans have been striving to find their personal identity for centuries. This issue has become increasing relevant in all modern societies. It is constantly challenged by changes in culture, family, and ourselves. The aim of this exhibition is to show many states of internal conflict and how they relate to the search for identity, hopefully reminding the viewer that personal identity comes from within and is not dependent on anything else.
If any city needs to hear this message of hope it is Cleveland. Cleveland has a poverty rate of 36.9% and a rate that exceeds 50% for children. (1) The citizens of Cleveland need to be reminded that their identity is not unemployment or poverty or homelessness, but in the light within. These works remind us of our humanity and the fears and insecurities that we all share. Each work shows an internal conflict common to all of humanity. Picasso's, The Old Guitarist, shows the "plight of the downtrodden" (2) and evokes sentiments of sympathy. Tertulia by Ángeles Santos Torroella shows the oppression of women in 1920's Spain, still relevant to today's society. It shows women's conflict between falling into their traditional roles in society or following their passion, and their struggle to find their place in 1920's Spain. Through the use of cubism Picasso reveals the masks and illusions that the women in Les Demoiselles d'Avignon are hiding behind, calling us to consider what we hide behind. Papilla Estelar by Remedios Varo explores the effects of isolation and exile on personal identity. Delving into city life, Eva Navarro reminds us of our individuality and humanity, placing the viewer in her piece I Am Going to See the World. In Joan Miró's, Head of Catalan Peasant, he defends Catalan nationality and questions the effects of culture and heritage on individuality. Part of Goya's "Black Paintings", Leocadia Zorilla, expresses Goya's fears about death and his own mortality-- a certain confrontation for everyone. Also a member of the "Black Paintings", Saturn Devouring His Son, is one of Goya's harshest representations of fear and therefore a reminder of our humanity. Gordo by Domingo Zapata shows a bullfighter trying to find his place in the modern world and leads to questions about the importance of tradition in modern society, and how the individual choses to treat their heritage. The cornerstone piece of this exhibit, Dalí's The Enigma of My Desire, calls the viewer to consider the influence of their parents on their identity, and ultimately that they are not restricted to how others defines them. |
(1) http://www.cleveland.com/datacentral/index.ssf/2014/09/decade_after_being_declared_na.html
(2) http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/28067
(2) http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/28067
Person Reflection |
I really enjoyed creating the website and using it to give my own personal analysis on the works we discussed in class and the ones I chose to complete my theme. I learned even more about the art we discussed in class after doing additional research on the pieces we discussed in class. I was exposed to some new Spanish artist (Domingo Zapato and Eva Navarro) and got to explore their work. I faced some challenges in locating some of the paintings, especially for Eva Navarro and Remedios Varo, but I was eventually able to locate them after a bit of searching. I also had some difficulty narrowing down my theme, but it ended up coming together as I wrote the analysis on each work. I found myself writing about a lot of the same motifs and was able to narrow my theme down from the stories behind the pieces to how they relate to the search for personal identity. It was particularly interesting to learn about some of the artists’ creative processes when searching for a quote. As always it is interesting to learn about the history behind the paintings and what might have influenced them. I now have a better understand of art analysis and how to voice its significance to me. Overall I would say I enjoyed this project.
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