The exhibit Feast and Famine, from the Paul Robeson Gallery, exhibits many different themes and views on food and how it affects the world. A theme that I took away from the exhibition was, act now for the future. What I mean by this is that we cannot treat the planet and its resources without concern for the future. If we simply act/behave the way we want, it will be bleak for future generations. Many of the pieces of art in the gallery made were used to make a statement, a change from former art such as self-portraits. The materials used to create them are also very different. However, despite its differences, they do share some similarities with some of the art that we have covered thus far.
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| Mike Libby You Are My Sunshine 2019 |
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| Willie Cole Clear Pool 2016 |
The next piece is Clear Pool, by Willie Cole. This piece changes as one gets closer to it. From far away it looks sparkly and beautiful, then as we get closer, we realize it is not what we once thought. It is made from disposed of plastic water bottles. Plastic takes years to deteriorate and when not recycled it pollutes and takes up unnecessary space on our Earth. This piece also embodies the theme because we need to recycle and protect our environment. Our environment is being polluted and we will soon pollute the entire planet if we continue at this pace.
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| Anna Maria Sibylla Merian Plate 9 From the Metamorphosis of The Insects Of Surinam 1647-1717 |
Anna Maria Sibylla Merian’s, Plate 9 From the Metamorphosis of The Insects of Surinam, is from 1719. Stokstad explains, “Maria Sibylla Merian (1647–1717) contributed to botany and entomology both as a researcher and as an artist… Merian arranged her depictions of exotic insects and elegant fruits and flowers into skillful and harmonious compositions “(Stokstad 769). She understood the importance and beauty of insects and the effect that they had on plants, and in turn human life. This piece is similar to Mike Libby’s piece because they both used insects to make a point. They both show the beauty and importance of bugs in our society.
Finally, Hieronymus Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights (open) (1450-1516), is a painting that can be interpreted to have many different meanings. One of the meanings that it takes in when observing this piece is a clear representation of how the past and present actions can have a drastic effect on the future. The first piece shows Adam and Eve happily in the garden. Yet in the final piece, we see a dark, scary, and gruesome world. Over time, the world has changed drastically and for the worse because of the actions of humans. Stokstad writes, “In hell, at the right, sensual pleasures—eating, drinking, music, and dancing—become instruments of torture in a dark world of fire and ice” (Stokstad 711). This symbolizes that humans doing whatever they please with no concern can lead the world to become a dark place. We need to conserve and cannot only search pleasure or it will lead to our downfall. It is almost a warning to humans. It tells us we must be careful of our actions or the world can become bleak. This embodies the theme of act now for the future, that both Mike Libby and Willie Cole show with their pieces.
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| Hieronymus Bosch Garden of Earthly Delights (open) (1450-1516) |
Citations
Stokstad, Marilyn, and Michael Watt Cothren. Art History. Sixth ed., II, Pearson, 2018.
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