I see the birth of new ideas, concepts materials, the start of something new. A person is busting out of an egg which is like him being born. But this person is being born into a world that is different from him. Looking at the background the place seems not all that developed. To the right there is some sort of tower that is visible but looking past that there is just miles of sand that moves into mountains. The woman and her child are bony and are naked, except for the fig leaf that covers the woman's private area. There is a figure in the background which also doesn't seem to be clothed either. Going back to the egg, it is laid out on a piece of cloth and has one hovering over it, this is already something that seems to be a new edition to this world where the people walk around naked. On the egg there is Africa and South America, both places that the Europeans took over and made their own. The man seems to be coming from North America, which is another place that went through imperialism by the Europeans. Although I say it is the birth of new ideas, it doesn't mean that it is all positive. There is a thick red substance coming out of the egg, which is blood. This blood leaves a shadow, and that is because it is foreshadowing all the hardships and struggle that is going to come along with this new person coming into this world. The woman is pointing to where Europe is hinting where is person is coming from. The child is peaking behind his mother, because this is all probably unfamiliar to him, and when the Europeans came into these places to take over people were like the little boy and the woman, some curious and frightened, and others not so shocked and a bit aware of what was going on. If I were to title this painting I would call it Birth because from birth something new is invented, but the outcome of that isn't always the best.
I like the way you went in dept and made me understand you point. You really made me look at the picture in your point of view which I have found very similar to the way I seen it.
ReplyDeleteI really like the detailed observation on the hand on Europe. It is interesting to me that you portrayed US as imperialistic, which I agree with, but also that you said the woman and child represent the unfamiliarity that natives in developing countries faced when Europeans colonized him. This is quite opposite of what I said be because I assumed that they were in some sort of awe of the evil that US was doing.
ReplyDeleteI also noticed the tower and person in the background but I wonder what they are and what the purpose of them are. You do say you see them but there is no real explanation as to what they are.
ReplyDelete