“We Could Be
Heroes”
I
really enjoyed the art pieces in these exhibits and Im not one to just go
wonder around the MOA for fun! I really think a lot of these art exhibits
focused on the emotional recall of the idea of hero’s that may come in various
forms, shapes or sizes throughout our lives.
“Elderly Heroes
Playing Cards”
I
loved the piece of the elderly individuals, dressed as various super heroes)
sitting around a table playing cards. (Gambling) Of all the exhibits, this one
stood out to me the most, because I felt that it had the strongest emotional
message. I felt this piece was very creative because it focused on that central
idea of the icon image and super hero appeal to these individuals. Here you
have a group of people at the end of their lives dressed as Spiderman, The
Flash, Superman and Batman respectively. To me this piece almost says, “Heroes
are looked after, or looked up to, by all individuals in all walks of
lives.” Looking at this art piece
I see a group of people who not only have looked up to these super hero figures
in there later years, but rather their entire lives. From infancy to elderly,
these super heroes, or rather the ideal of these super heroes has been a
guiding force in these people’s lives. I think of my self as a youth pretending
to be Spiderman, and I realize that apiece of that imitation has stuck with me
even today. The author probably came up with idea from personal experiences in
his own life. Maybe this author grew up reading comic books or cartoons, and no
doubt that those experiences left a lasting impression on his/her life.
“Male Baseball
#1”
Again
I felt that this piece stayed true to the idea of “the hero.” I myself am a
huge sports fan and watch and read about sports avidly, religiously almost! This
Icon of a player hitting a baseball has been cemented into my brain since
childhood because it is the image that is placed upon the top of trophies. Even
know this specific statue is that of a baseball player, you can easily see it
as a football, basketball or track star. The main point that stood out to me is
that it was a STAND OUT athlete. Imagine someone put into a crunch time
situation, bottom of the 9th inning, 2 outs, 2 strikes, team down by
1 point and one man on base. This pitch is thrown and… BOOM, in an instance
this ordinary person has done an extraordinary thing. A homerun is hit and his
team wins the game, players and fans alike lift up their new recently found hero
on their shoulders and exit the stadium cheering. Moments like that are brought
to my mind when I see this baseball player standing here; a piece of history is
captured in time. This artist probably had a specific sports moment in mind
when he/she created this art piece. Maybe they were thinking of Babe Ruth, or
Hank Aaron, or even of another sport! Maybe Michael Jordan, or of a Steven
Young. Regardless of whatever the moment, no doubt it must have been a great
one.
Im not sure if we are thinking of the same piece of art, but if I am, then I'm thinking of the Male Baseball #1 as the giant trophy top. It was the first thing i looked at as i walked in, and i remember staring at it trying to figure out why it was so familiar. it was really well done, because even though it was almost a lifelike size, the artist kept all the detail of the plastic mold lines and where they meet. When you are little and you get all these miniature trophies you dont think much of them, but seeing a large one, you can almost picture a real baseball player standing there cast in silver. its pretty sweet.
ReplyDeleteI liked the Male Baseball #1 as well. When I walked up to statue I remember thinking "That looks like an old trophy top" and then being pleased when it was.
ReplyDeleteI like your description of Male Baseball #1. I think this symbol means a lot to all little boys growing up. They want to hit that homerun and win the trophy. The little statue on top of the trophy is the symbol of greatness that they are striving for.
ReplyDeleteI also enjoyed the Elderly Heros Playing Cards piece. I was first drawn to it because of the amazing aesthetics...this painter is extremely talented. Then I was able to take a closer look, and think about the message of the painting. I like how the style/technique looks very traditional, but the subject matter is definitely not. Its an interesting juxtaposition.
ReplyDeleteI liked the baseball player that was supposed to be the top of a trophy. Heck!I still have my baseball trophies from when I was little! I felt like I was in the big leagues when I got one of those! I loved how just seeing that huge plasticy baseball player brought back so many childhood memories.
ReplyDeleteI loved that trophy baseball player also. I couldnt believe how the sculptor was able to make bronze and chrome look so much like a plastic trophy. That was definitely one of my top favorite pieces for sure.
ReplyDeleteTo me it seemed like that baseball statue was illustrating how diluted and cookie cutter heroes in societies mind have become. Everyone and their mother has that trophy yet it is still praised and continued to be given out. Its time we break the mold on what a hero is, get out of the cliche.
ReplyDelete