Art Gallery
Essay Preview: Art Gallery
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When I entered the Robert Langden Art exhibit my gaze immediately focused in on the enormous Canadian twenty-dollar bill that was hanging on the back wall. Tacked on to the left side of the bill was a neon green maple leaf. On the right side there is an image of what looks like several totem poles in a canoe. The material of the bill appeared to be a matte laminate and the maple leaf was made with recycled wire. In the center of the maple leaf there is a quotation, it reads: “Nous connaitrons-nous seulement un peu nous-memes, sans les arts? Could we ever know each other in the slightest without the arts? Gabrielle Roy (1909-1983).” To the left of the twenty-dollar bill is another piece of artwork, laying on the floor 4, 000 bright red poppies form a rectangle. At first glance I did not see anything but the poppies on the floor, however when I looked closer I saw camouflage netting cloaked over the entire surface of the poppies. (171)
After reading the pamphlet provided by the art gallery, I learned that the specific twenty-dollar bill Jamelie Hassan used for the artwork was replaced by a new version that primarily shows images from Canadas involvement in the military throughout history. I interpreted this information as Hassan trying to portray how societies values changed from cultural to political over time. In addition, I learned that the artist wanted the poppies to represent combat from World War 1 and 2 as well as Canadas position in Afghanistan. Moreover, I read that the camouflaged netting cloaked over the poppies was originally made to be on top of a tank called “Holy Roller” which was used during World War 2. I interpreted this as the artist trying to show the relationship between the fallen soldiers and war. This information gave me a deeper symbolic perspective on the political and cultural themes of the pieces of artwork, helping me to better understand the message the artist is trying to convey. (165)
In the Robert Langen art gallery pamphlet, Hassan expressed that “If we lose our relationship to our diverse cultures (including indigenous values) and our tradition of peace-keeping what is left for us?” Steger asks if cultural globalization is making indivdiuals more congruent or distinguished (75). He also notes that hyperglobalizers believe, “we are not moving towards a cultural rainbow that reflects the diversity of the worlds existing cultures” (75). This quote directly correlates to the themes of diversity, cultural values, national identity, and political takeover that Hassan expresses through her artwork. In my opinion, Hassan tried to convey the message that society is predominantly focused on the political aspects of war, the military, and the economy. She maintains the stance that while these are all important aspects, there is so much more to society that people arent paying attention to. In the art gallery pamphlet Hassan states, “Through culture