Title: Winter
Medium: Linoleum
Size: 8" x 9"
Completion: September 2021
Medium: Linoleum
Size: 8" x 9"
Completion: September 2021
My piece, "Winter", inspired by Greek Mythology and the story of Persephone, depicts a scene of the environment when she is not with her mother. It utilizes texture, shape, and color to express the off-putting story. The intention is to convey the sorrow that occurs when individuals are separated from their loved ones.
Inspiration:
'The Widow 1' by Kathe Kollwitz
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Kathe Kollwitz had experienced great pain from a war, as she reflects and conveys her emotions about losing her son.The Widow I (Die WItwe I) displays tragedy though mourning and the loss of al loved one. Kollwitz’s piece dives into a deeper display of emotional experience that came from World War 1. Kathe Kollwitz was known as a widely influential printmaker and graphic artist from the time of German Expressionism. For this work, she drew inspiration from Ernst Barlach woodcuts, which directed her to woodcutting to convey the intense emotions. In Kollwitz’s works, her trademark topic was showing the highs and lows of motherhood, reflecting on her own experience as she lost one of her children, Peter, in the war. This artist created numerous artworks highlighting women doing things that may seem untraditional.
This piece is a part of a series of woodcuts Kollwitz made in the wake of the Weimar Republic's political and economic turmoil. She commented on the conflict's legacy. Her artworks were not enjoyed by the Nazis and created controversy because of the clear political position that she took and actually was forbidden to exhibit her art. However, she held strong in her beliefs and influence.
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Throughout her life, Kollwitz used art to express human suffering in many forms. It is shown as an expression of sorrow and grief, and loss. Her work causes the viewer to think about the war and its impact on families. ‘The Widow I (Die Witwe I)’ also serves as documentary, pushing boundaries in making people think about the terrible and ugly effects which come from war. Kollwitz did not adapt to the trends, but had an independent style which focused on tragedy not just from World War I, but from all wars. This function pushes any viewer suffering loss to be able to form a connection, and is not just a representation of her experience but can be applied around the world.
The inspiration behind my theme was the story of Demeter and her daughter, Persephone. Persephone is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, goddess of the earth. Hades, the brother of Zeus and god of the underworld, abducts the young goddess one day as she is gathering flowers by a stream. Demeter goes in search of her daughter, but is unable to find her. Demeter’s grief causes the earth to die—crops fail, and famine comes upon the land. Zeus intervenes and commands Hades to return Persephone. Reluctant to release her, Hades forces Persephone to eat a pomegranate seed, food of the dead. As a result, she can spend only six months out of the year with her mother; the other six months she is destined to spend in the realm of Hades. To the Greeks, the return of Persephone from the underworld symbolized the return of life in the spring.
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Persephone and Demeter
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Each spring, as the earth returned to life, some Greeks observed a sacred ritual in which the story of Demeter and Persephone was enacted. The image on the left depicts Demeter and Persephone in spring, when they are reunited. The two of them are surrounded by Demeter's sacred trees. I enjoyed how this art used distinctly defined lines and a multitude of colors. Furthermore, I was inspired by their particular embrace and fond facial expressions.
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