This post was written by Gabby D. in response to the Day 12 Challenge Action: Reflect on politically or socially motivated artwork. We all have to admit that with the high and rising tension produced by the most recent presidential election, responsible citizenship has most likely not been a priority for the majority of Americans. The 30 Day Challenge helps us to stay on track and start small. As a school, the challenge allows us to focus on what we can do both as individuals and as a community to maintain responsible citizenship throughout this difficult time. Art, is a wonderful way to express feelings and open up about a particular political or social issue. As a creative outlet, art is a technique for relieving stress as well. So, if you are ever feeling angry, upset, uncomfortable, unsafe, or just about anything, but cannot find the words to show how you feel, art just might help you voice your opinion. Christina Galbiati is a designer, educator, and contemporary artist who resides in the northeastern region of Pennsylvania. She works in collage and makes efforts to express her opinions and feelings on almost anything that occurs in her life. On her website, there is a “Social Art” section that welcomes people to view her series of collages reflecting on controversial social issues as well as tense political situations. One piece that caught my eye is entitled “A Nation Divided” (pictured below). Galbiati based this image upon her feeling following the 2004 Kerry/Bush election. Motivated by the strict divide that emerged in the United States at the time of the election, Galbiati successfully used contrast to express the spilt feelings of Americans. While this particular collage was created not in reference to the Trump/Clinton election, it remains very relevant today. Galbiati’s piece conveys the splitting of citizens of the United States based upon political views that followed a highly controversial election. She uses a cluster of words such as “out of touch,” “greed,” and “money” to form the silhouette of the United States. Galbiati uses those particular phrases to suggest that Americans do not seem to be on the same page and elaborate on why there is such a disconnect. While the overall message of Galbiati’s “A Nation Divided” is rather frightening, it is still beautiful that she was able to expresses her feelings through the creative outlet of art. For more of Christina Galbiati's work, check out her blog
3 Comments
Christina
3/27/2017 10:50:32 am
Gabby, I really like the piece of artwork that you chose to reflect on. I think that with everything currently happening in our world, especially with the recent election, it is a very relevant and powerful piece of artwork. This piece is a visual representation of how our world is acting toward each other and I believe that resonates with people more so than just simply saying, “our world is divided.” Seeing this representation of the United States and how divided it is make me realize things are worse than they seem. Our world is supposed to be one and work together, yet we are all working against one another which is making our situation worse. Just as you said, this 30 day challenge is a way for us to take a step in the right direction as citizens of America and help our world reunite and be able to get over the hurdles we may face.
Reply
Melanie
3/29/2017 08:50:44 am
Gabby! This post is truly inspiring. I love the fact that you found a specific artist that exemplifies this challenge and ran with it(: The piece you chose reflects the division of our nation very accurately. I think it is extremely interesting that this piece was executed during a previous election but still relates to the Trump/Clinton election. I appreciate your discussion about using art when you cannot figure out which words to say because many times, people forget that they can use art and various images to express their emotions.
Reply
Megan Doherty
3/29/2017 03:56:38 pm
Gabby,
Reply
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Authors
All authors are members of the BHS community who are participating in the challenge. Archives
April 2017
Categories |