One of the first paintings that caught my attention was The Judgment of Six. This piece uses words paired with a drawing to openly criticize the harsh judgmental tendency's of the Mennonite faith. I like this piece but I think words are a bit direct. One important aspect of visual art as a form of communication is the amount of decoding and inference a viewer must use. This process allows the viewer to slowly and organically absorb and digest an idea. If the viewer had decoded this idea visually it would have come over time and been easier to digest but words make the message clear and direct, targeting a more specific group. I think the message is important none the less.
The cover work Where Two Or Three Are Gathered displays a similar view to The Judgment of Six but in a much less aggressive way. In this picture a large figure is holding the people in its arms. The figure has a sun on his head, but is also stepping on two suns. There is also a dove sitting on the heel. At first I though the large figure was God, but the dove seems like a more typical symbol of God, so maybe the large figure represents the structure of society. The figure stepping on the suns displays a similar idea to The Judgment of Six. Not in the same directly situational way, but the figure is defiantly using something other then the ground to hold itself up. This is a view I have come to take after looking at the painting multiple times over a few days. Because of this long period of digestion, this criticism is much easier to accept. In this piece Sylvia also shows this criticism as only part of the larger picture, which is think is a more fair representation.
I also enjoyed the Fear Not! painting quite a bit. This painting somewhat reminds me of a Cheyenne Indian design I saw last spring. In this design the middle is black followed by red, yellow, light blue, dark blue expanding out. The design represents the expansion of the universe, and depicts evil standing between humans and god in a way that reminds me of this one.
I'm fascinated by the idea that images can present a controversial or intense concept in a more palatable (or perhaps just different) manner, especially when considering fields such as graphic design, which attempt to convey ideas by merging art and language.
ReplyDeleteWhen looking at Bubalo's work, I also found more variety in meaning in the strictly visual images. I did not read many of her poems, but would be interested in seeing if some of her criticism has more space in a different genre.
I really like the way you interpreted the "Where Two Or Three Are Gathered" piece. Its a very different interpretation, one i don't necessarily agree with, but i like it nonetheless. I feel that the sun-like things on his feet and head are symbols of holiness that go back to how God and Jesus were depicted in paintings pre-renaissance, with the circular 2D gold Halos. Which would point to the figure in the painting being God. But that's just another interpretation.
ReplyDeleteI also really enjoyed "The Judgement of Six," and I enjoyed your take on it. I found the text a bit harsh but was interested in the color choices in the piece. To me, the black suits of the men represent strict authority while the red worn by Sylvia seems to invoke a type of "Scarlett Letter" type of feeling.
ReplyDeleteJacob, I like the title of your blog! Your interpretation of the "Two or Three are Gathered" painting is intriguing. I'm not quite sure I understand the parallel with "The Judgment of Six," though. Do you see the large figure as judging the faces gathered in its arms, or embracing them? The dove is likely the Holy Spirit.
ReplyDelete