When you first glance at this
painting, what first comes to mind (for me at least) is a painting of a bird
with a bunch of scribbles on top of it. But I also believe that there is so much more to it
than just that. The painting is called Magic Flute: Dove, state VI and it is by William Kentridge, a South African artist. To me,
this painting raises many many questions about the world and society today. Why
would a bird as majestic as a dove be in chaotic situation like this? And what
does the dove really represent?
The very first thing that I infer
about this painting is that the dove is in a chaotic situation. This bird is
not a happy bird. It seems to be enrobed by the lines, like it is being
swallowed in them. I also noticed that
one of the dove’s wings seems to be becoming a part of the lines. Those lines
seem menacing. It almost looks like the dove is looking over its shoulder at
the lines, as if it is trying to escape.
But what does that all mean? In
some ways, those lines remind me of pollution. Maybe the artist was trying to
send a message about that. The lines surround the dove just as any pollution would.
But it was something else entirely that really caught my attention. The dove is
such a symbol of beauty and happiness, that it got me thinking. Maybe that is
what the dove is representing. Beauty. The dove-like sort of idea of beauty
that there used to be in this world is slowly fading away. It is fading away, just as the dove is, into those dangerous lines.
Wow, this is a really beautiful piece of art and your response is very articulate and well thought out. You observed this art and presented your ideas in a really deep way.
ReplyDeleteYou got a lot out of one picture. This is the kind of symbolism we're supposed to look for but I don't find. It's deep, and it raises a lot of questions.
ReplyDelete(Sophie Walker 806)
You did a really great job of observing, inferring, and extending about this picture! You really connected to it and you were so detailed about everything it was so good!
ReplyDeleteI think that this piece of art has a lot of great meaning to it and I totally agree with a lot of what you said.
ReplyDeleteWoah. Why are you so smart?!? But seriously, you did s great job of observing, inferring, and extending this into real life! I completely agree with the message you put at the end. In addition to what you said, maybe the lines also distract attention away from the beauty and innocence of the bird, and make it harsh an less noticeable. They could represent all the negative aspects of humanity, overpowering the positive aspects. Nice job, Leah!
ReplyDeleteWOW! Okay, so my first glance at the painting was that you were going to do some interpretation that was sappy and overly meaningful, but you did SO MUCH MORE! FANTASTIC JOB! YOUR RESPONSE WAS ALSO REALLY WELL WRITTEN!
ReplyDeleteoops, caps lock...
ReplyDeleteYou used very sophisticated language and I honestly get where your coming from. I also think that the layering of the scribbles has a lot of meaning. The painter probably did this so some smart girl could come along and unpack all the layers of meaning in this painting. You were very successful in unpacking this painting pice by piece. Great job, you are an amazing writer.
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