'Good Times' Painting aka Sugar Shack

Okay, let me start off by saying if you don't recognize this painting than something is wrong with YOU!!! I really enjoy the late Ernie Barnes' work and Sugar Shack has to be has to be one of his most recognizable paintings. The painting is amazing. Its colorful vibrant and showcases a group of people enjoying themselves at the Sugar Shack. This painting to me represents what clubbing was like back in the day; it was enjoyable. The music had soul, more quality, and the house band didn't suck. Everything seems larger than life in this painting and maybe that's what having a good time was about back then, being apart of something that was bigger than yourself. Just looking at this painting makes want to go clubbing, but my experience wouldn't be anywhere near this one.

Painting Worth A Thousand Words

So I was browsing through some African American art and I found this painting by Chelle Brantley titled Destruction of a Man. It really spoke volumes to me. It shows some of the things that have plagued and continue to plague young black men. The center of the picture drew me in. In the center, sits a slave with blood gushing down his back from a recent beating with a whip. This figure reminds me of a famous picture of a slave sitting with his back towards the camera. His bare back reveals scars from being beaten repeatedly. Above this severely beaten slave, is another slave with shackles and chains around his wrists and neck. To the right of him there are two young men that have been lynched. These four figures represent shear hatred that we African Americans have overcome as a whole. This blind hatred cost many dear souls their lives, but more particularly young black men. The other elements of the painting are more modern: the waiter, the cop car, the gun, the gang member, and the young man wasting away in a prison cell. All these images confront an ugly truth about some young men in the African American community. With so many opportunities and so many avenues to venture down, why do some choose the path of chaos and destruction. This painting shows how others once created the young black men's hell and tormented their rich vibrant souls until there nothing left. It also shows how young black men have created their own hell and how they tormenting their loved ones, their community, and most importantly themselves. Can these strong, smart, and handsome men awake from this self induced coma before they succumb to their environment? That is the question that this painting is posing. This painting may shed light on the negativity, but it also shows that there may be light at the end of the tunnel. This piece of art makes its audience look within to confront their flaws and weaknesses and turn it into something positive. And maybe one day Chelle may paint another painting about young black men uplifting themselves, no longer looking back at the past.

The Statue of Liberty Gets Busy

I choose this art piece or poster because it really caught my eye. The person who created this clearly had a strong political feeling and chose art to express their frustration. My last two post show how countries used art to bolster their ego and superiority. This piece is the complete opposite. There is no glory. There is no pride, but the statement of art itself is just a bold as the Stalin/Nazi art. The creator of this poster took one of the most iconic symbols of United States of America and gave it more feminine and human characteristics. The Statue of Liberty represents our nations prowess, the glory of the past, and a sense of hope that millions of immigrants felt as they passed it to start anew. In this poster, the Statue of Liberty looks vulnerable and unsure. The man seems to have all the power, emotionally and sexually. I also liked how the artist used sexual connotations to show their displeasure with the government. I think its different from other works art where politics is being mocked or bashed. Some people might find this disrespectful, but it's a form of expression. This person chose art to express their feelings. This is what they feel and that is what makes it so powerful...the raw emotion and imagery. It made me think and evoked a feeling from me and therefore I believe that this is art. And it's done its job as far as a piece of art goes.

Image:http://www.domnx.com/gallery/liberties/jpg

Propaganda:Russian Style

It's amazing how art can be used for many things and how it can convey many things as well. Art can be a great thing when it comes to boosting a country's ego and rising the country's morale. Russia( or I should say the fmr. Soviet Union) used art in this form. When they were not building nukes to further fuel the Cold War with the United States; the Russians used art to display their prowess and might. The picture that I'm analyzing features a larger than life Stalin flanked by huge red flag. Beneath Stalin, is a large army and they are carrying these red flags as well. The illustration makes Stalin look like a strong powerful leader. He points to the future and leads his army into the future. The picture makes Communism look so bold and ballsy. It looks like there is not a man or another country that can stand up to this big mean Soviet machine. The red background represents the fury that fueled this nation and where this unabashed fury would take them.Fast forward a few decades and it is obvious that this mind frame or sense of thinking was wrong, but at least the Soviet Union got there day in the sun.

Image:www.smev.de/flags/speigel2001~4.html

Nazi Proganda

The first piece of art that I will be analyzing comes from the Lustige Blatter, a German magazine. During World War II, this magazine was used spread the views of the Nazis. This particular piece features Winston Churchill. His face is removed as if it were some kind of cheap Halloween mask. There stands a man with a skull face in a nice suit and a background that looks as if Armageddon is upon the world. It is clear that it pokes fun at Mr. Churchill and Great Britain. When I look at this picture, it looks like Churchill is just a joke. Behind the facade, is a man who is just as evil or sinister as the Nazis...or at least that's what they wanted you to think. The illustration makes the Prime Minister look weak and makes one question his authority. Giving the historical background of what was happening at the time, these thoughts might have been justified, but when this criticism is coming from the Nazis, it makes you think a bit. This simple illustration has so many meanings, yet it is so powerful and may have helped the Nazis strengthen the German people through proganda.

Image:www.bytwerk.com/gpa/

lustige.htm