Monday, November 11, 2013

Andrew Bergman Blog 5

Andrew Bergman
ENGL 1105
Professor White
11 November, 2013
People Help People
            Art is a fundamental piece of humanity.  It’s a tool we use to send messages, express ourselves, and to show beauty as well as destruction.  It is something that, if taken away, would leave a gaping hole in all of us.  Everything we have, and make is art, and it all sends different messages.  A great artist named Greg Stanforth once said, “If art did not exist, man would be sitting butt naked in an open field.”  This is true, but what truly is the greatest part about art is not the beauty of a painting, but instead the message it leaves with the viewer, whether that was the message the artist intended or not.  Street art, normally known as “graffiti,” is seen in every major city around the world.  It is meant to be seen by many so it can send messages to the common man.  One great example lies in Artotale, Germany, where a bold message of few words is presented.
            Graffiti is designed to be graphic and strange so that its image and message stays in the viewer’s memory for a long time.  The work of an artist named Herakut is no different.  Herakut’s most famous piece lies in Germany, and is famous for the message it sends to people.  The imagery itself is highly complex, and the meaning of the piece is hard to pull out.

            Physically, the art work is a spray painting on the side of a building, similar to most common graffiti.  However, this piece is much larger, in fact, it takes up the entire wall of the building, which is two stories high.  Portrayed is a girl, with a strange combination of clothes.  On her head, she sports a red beret that is in the shape of a sea creature.  The sea creature could be described as a squid or a fish.  Along with this headgear, the girl is wearing yellow and pink striped socks and a grey jumpsuit.  Kneeling, the girl holds an old style ink pen, which she uses to pen in a simple message on the wall.  “Art doesn’t help people.  People help people.”  It is also important to note the girl is not looking at what she is writing.  Instead she is looking out from the wall, as if she were looking at a person standing in the distance.  Her face, which is disproportionate, produces a scowl.  

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