My Explorations in Art

Activism Through Art Activism has been represented through several forms of media; it can be done through protests, performances, and music genres, but what I find to be the most profound form of activism is through art. The reason why I think this way is because of how memorable an image is to me. I believe that when a piece of artwork conveys a certain message, it transcends through history. Art tells us about the political, economic, and social state of the world. When this occurs, art becomes a memory within an image, it’s personal, and it speaks to you. The artists that I will be discussing are individuals who have not only inspired my creativity, but also educated me on issues that needed to be addressed. Norman Rockwell Rockwell, N. (1943) ‘ Rosie the Riveter ’ (Left). Stockbridge, MA: Norman Rockwell Museum Rockwell, N. (1965) ‘ Murder in Mississippi ’ (Right). Stockbridge, MA: Norman Rockwell Museum I’ve always considered Norman Rockwell's artwork to be one of the best ar...

War through the Eyes of an Artist I decided to pick something different for my blog. If you've followed a few of my posts, you might have noticed that I tend to lean more toward painterly styles. To be honest, I tend to feel uncomfortable with analyzing “rougher” mediums such as watercolor, charcoal, and graphite since I believe the texture that you can achieve with them allows more intense emotion. The pieces I've collected for this post were done by combat artists who were assigned to cover the horrors of war (Wade, 2014). Some scenes depict tragedy, while some depict peaceful moments between comrades. Nonetheless, these pieces capture moments in history directly through the eyes of those who have experienced them. Harvey, D. (1918) ' The Harvest Moon '. Marne, France: Dunn The mixed media painting by Captain Harvey Dunn depicts dead German soldiers across a field as the moon shines over the harvest. Behind the field is a town, destroyed and left burning (Wade, 2014)....

The Kiss Gustav, K. (1908) ' The Kiss '. Vienna, Austria: Klimt (Left)      Edvard, M. (1897) ' The Kiss '. Oslo, Norway: Munch (Right) While I understand that Munch's work is linked to a variety of art movements, including expressionism, his style was also influenced by the Post-Impressionist movement and held a majority of the style's characteristics (Watson, 2025). Munch wanted to use art as a way to express and convey his intense emotions, turning his personal experiences into something that others could relate to. He hoped that through art, he could get to know himself and inspire others to do so in the process (Watson, 2025). Whereas Klimt's perception of art examines pleasure, love, joy, and sadness (Witek, 2023). During his "Golden Period," his work best exemplified this perception by the use of textures and solid forms throughout his work. Munch's piece feels more melancholic as it shows a couple embracing, their faces blurring into ea...

  Resilience This painting in particular has a special place in my heart. My first copy of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley had the wounded Philoctetes painting as its cover. While at first, I simply thought that the cover was beautiful because of its value and form, years later I realized it had served a purpose. Both pieces talk about issues of suffering, loneliness, and rejection by society (Tremper, 2017). Philoctetes is left behind because of his agonizing wound, similar to Frankenstein’s monster who was rejected by his creator (Green, 2019). Both of the characters had no control over their situation, it was simply unfair. The presentation of Philoctetes's suffering resonated with the creature's emotional pain, which aligned with the novel's theme of empathy and humanity. Abildgaard, N. (1775) ‘ The Wounded Philoctetes ’. Copenhagen, Denmark: Nicolai The piece portrays the story of Philoctetes. The hero was bitten on the foot by a snake and his cries of agony led his comra...

The Rise of the Merchant Classes Caravaggio is mostly known for his eccentric behavior, criminal history, and beautiful works of art ( Schütze ). This is the second Caravaggio painting I will be covering, and if you can’t already tell, I absolutely adore how he captures these scenes within an image. It’s intimate and human, yet at the same time, beautiful and raw in its depiction. Caravaggio shows a group of youths playing musical instruments, a theme that represents the increasing fascination of the arts in the late 16th century ( Schütze ). The rise of the merchant class was instrumental in shaping the art world at this time. Merchants, bankers, and sponsors from the new middle class started ordering works, not only for religious use but also for personal enjoyment. The painting shows a band of musicians, a favorite among the new merchant class who enjoyed and patronized the arts as a way of cultural expression. This was a departure from more conventional religious paintings that h...

The Artist Michelangelo Buonarroti was the very embodiment of the Italian Renaissance, praised for his artistic and architectural achievements (Gilbert). His pieces, like the statues of " David " , "The Pietà," and the Sistine Chapel ceiling frescoes, were the very essence of the humanist values of the time, emphasizing human beauty and potential. Not only did they advance and encourage artistic innovations, but they also emphasized the Renaissance for personal accomplishment and self-expression (Gilbert). While Michelangelo's art was mostly Christian, his beautiful portrayal of the human body and emotion contributed to humanism philosophy and art (Vowles). His realistic renderings of biblical heroes and actions gave religious art a new feeling, making the stories more available to the public and emotionally appealing to the viewer. This shift in artistic representation came in the wake of the Reformation's demand for an individual and intimate relationship...