Outside Event 1 : De Young Museum OCT 14th

 

Ralph Eugene Meatyard’s exhibition entitled “Dolls and Masks” represents an achromatic portrayal of humanity and masquerade, and how the latter complements the first one’s existence.

As a great aficionado of black and white photography, I can state that the contrast in his photographs makes what the artist was trying to convey to his audience is almost palpable. The images are infallibly simplistic, and yet, the symbolism creeps out from the dilapidated houses, from out the thick weeds, from worn out floor boards. The photograph which had the most striking effect on me is certainly the Untitled, 1960: the child, holding a doll, lost like a little insignificant speck of matter among the jungle-like nature, standing at the entrance of a decrepit house, out of which a hand of safety reaches out to him. The symbolism of life is apparent: the child, as well as the overgrown nature, represents the cycle of life, constant renewal and rebirth, while the dolls, mannequins and masks are there as a protection, because at some point, we are all forced to wear masks, for fear of being betrayed or hurt.

The second one that also evoked different emotions in me was the Untitled, 1968, where a man,whose face is hidden, is standing next to a window, among the rubble of what looks like an attic. Next to him is a doll, almost like a “doppelganger,” a double image of one’s own self. The room is very disordered, perhaps symbolizing the state of the world, in which very few men can truly speak their minds, which is probably why the man’s head is wrapped up so that only his eyes are visible.

The other exhibition, portraying works of Ann Hamilton and others, evoked images of the insignificance of the individual in the universe, perceived on a larger scale. Through the usage of different materials, colors and shapes, it appears that all artists wanted to convey a sense of unity in which the vast universe embraces the existence of man as a race, and that no matter what humanity manages to create, the world will always prolong its existence, with or without us. Inez Storer uses religious imagery in her attention-grabbing portrayal of the creation of the world, while James Rosenquist used innovative technology to expose the water issue on planet Earth.

This piece made me feel like i wanted to create a dress out of it

since we are going to be using google earth I think this is a nice piece to look at .

This was one of my favorites.I love the colors and the use of different kinds of paper.It's like a futuristic collage

The simplistic elements and surroundings only seem to emphasize the notions depicted in Meatyard’s photographs: intimacy, mortality, self-image, shelter and atonement. The author hints at the idea that we are all alone in the world, and that sometimes, other human presence seems as a mere theatre of dolls and puppets, and that masks can conceal our true selves, but every once in a while, we have to take a look at ourselves and acknowledge what the mirror has to show us. While, the other exhibit makes us look at the bigger picture, forcing us to step out of our own skin and not think as individuals, but as a part of something larger than ourselves.