Social Issue Responce

Paul Kuczynski is a modern contemporary artist. He is an American who has clearly kept up to date on social issues. The social issues that most of us see on the news but just look past or don’t grasp the severity of the issue influence his artwork. His artwork is created by the use of digital illustration and maybe a little use of watercolor. His works remind me of political cartoons with much more detail and instead of focusing on politics he focuses on larger issues. My favorite piece depicts men cleaning black smoke as if it were a window. The issue depicted is clearly pollution and how we try to cover it up to seem okay. A lot of his works have to do with destroying our environment and also how the government and wars are ridiculous. In some of his pieces he used greed to show motivation. The images are very dramatic to stress the issue and each one combines two everyday things that contrast each other. Window washers and smoke stacks are things we have grown used to seeing everyday but when you put them together the contrast creates drama and does a good job of getting the issue across. Paul’s works are very inspiring to me and some of them have given me good ideas that might reflect in my own composition.

Logo Design!

Guernica Responce

 

            Pablo Picasso’s piece entitled Guernia was based on the bombing that occurred in the small village in 1937.  The bombings were fueled by the Spanish civil war and is believed to be the work of Spanish nationals in alliance with Germany. There were over 1,500 deaths reported on a devastating bombing run that lasted 3 and a half hours. Picasso saw this event as mass chaos. He combined abstract forms of humans and animals in what looks like a shelter, scared for their lives. I read up on the history of the event and one man who was resided in the village during the bombings recalls hiding in a small cramped shelter wondering if he was going to live or die. When I put the history with the painting it made a lot of sense. It was a time of fear and survival. The overall feel of the piece suggests  Picasso was sickened over the bombings and tried to show the devastation caused by them. To me it seems this is very much an anti war piece with strong messages.