Museum Description:I have selected the theme of my museum to convey the emotion of despair. Despair is an emotion beyond sadness that is hard to put into words. Within these displayed pieces, we can capture the mind of someone in despair and share empathy with one another. We all share a human experience that is not talked about enough. It's such an intriguing emotion because of how largely it impacts someone's life. It can make it difficult to do the easy things and send one's mindset into cycles we feel stuck in. I want to express the importance of acknowledging this emotion and being able to understand it.
Impact Statement:I want to use different types of paintings to be able to display this emotion. With every paint stroke, we are able to feel what the artist feels, even if it is just for a second. We are able to make a connection, being able to see the experience of what misery feels in one's mind. Despair is not always commonly shared, but it will bring awareness to the negative emotions that people feel. In this day and age, people are struggling and feeling like they have no voice. I want to be able to shed light on the suffering that people bear and be able to bring awareness to it.
Title of the First room
We will be looking at despair from a personal viewpoint. These people are dealing with different things due to events, emotional struggles, or overall anguish. We will get a glimpse of different perspectives on sadness.
Jan Matejko Stanczyk 1862
{Content}: Stanczyk is sitting alone in the room with a jester costume on while a party or event is going on. There are crumbled-up newspapers in the background of this poorly lit room. He is sitting with a look of concern and despair as his body looks tense but his eyes gloomy. He is in an isolated state as the weight of his oppressed country weighs on his shoulders. He feels the impact of his country as he stares off into the distance, tuning out the noise from the other room. {Context}: This painting was created in the 19th century during the oppression of Poland that was caused by Russia taking over Smolensk. The country was struggling as a whole and it was uncertain what the future would bring
Automat by Edward Hopper, 1927
This Oil painting perfectly captures the isolation and despair felt as society advances. The painting was painted after War World 1 in the 1920s. There were modern advancements such as urbanization, social/cultural change, and positive change to the economy. For some, it was hard to be able to adapt to the rapid changes, and felt alone. {Content} This woman is sitting alone at an Automat restaurant, where people self-service so there is little human interaction. She looks dissociative but sad. She is wearing a coat which fits her modern time and a beautiful hat. The hat worn inside covering the sides shows that she's not too interested in conversation. Her expression is dissociative but depressing as she gazes off into her mug, across an empty chair, in a room that lacks connection and interaction.
Vincent van Gogh ,On the threshold to eternity 1890
Context) Vincent van Gogh was known to struggle with Mental health issues while contributing to his art. He spent time in an asylum which is where he did most of his paintings. This painting was done days prior to his death and it shows the emotional turmoil, his struggle with his mental health condition, and other personal issues. This captures the emotions of Van Gogh.
Pablo Picasso: Weeping woman, 1937
{Context} This piece by Picasso shows the suffering and agony after the Spanish War and Guernica Bombing. Picasso was affected by this event emotionally as he saw those around him experience distress and hardship. The woman in the painting is Dora Marr, a French photographer he was in a relationship. Their complex relationship caused her a lot of suffering, which is why she is the subject of general suffering. {Form} The artist uses the style " cubism" for this selection. There are different hues of green with complimentary purple. Her tears are the focal point and show the deep intensity of despair that she is feeling within. There are sharp lines in the painting that tie further into her emotions. We can see different shapes of the eyes as one is sideways and the other is regular with black, which shows the different sides of sadness.
Title of Second room
For our second room, we will be looking at the despair among others. This is the sadness that other people close to us such as death, separation, etc. Feeling despair with others doesn't always have to feel good. It can feel even worse when it involves the other person. We will look at despair surrounded by those who love us and care for us.
Edward Munch: Two human beings. The Lonely Ones 1905
(Content) : A well-dressed man and woman are at what seems to be a beach or a landscape. Not only are these two far apart physically, but they are far apart emotionally. As we can not see their face, they are disconnected from us as well. Even if these people are feeling despair within themselves, this captures the essence of what despair feels like.It feels isolating, lonely, and disconnected.
The Sick Child 1907 Edward Munch
(Content)A mother is in anguish because her daughter is sick. We can tell the daughter is in critical condition by her pale face and expression. The mother is in so much pain that she can no look at her daughter and all she can do is cry.(Context)This is a representation of Edward Munch's life as he lost his mom and daughter to tuberculosis. In his art, his expresses the pain one feels after losing someone one loves and the grieving process.
The Sad Message, Peter Fendi,1838
{Form} The painter uses vertical composition as we are focused on the people. The background colors are dull but the white of the woman and soldier are bright to emphasize them. There is space between the man and woman to hold tension but there is a lack of space as the child goes to her back. The focal point is the saddened expression on the woman’s face as she faces the bad news. (Content)The woman is sobbing as she receives a letter that her husband dying. She is going through intense emotions which is unbearable. Her children are too young to understand the weight of this message. The solider shows empathy by staying near he to make sure she is okay, as she is now a single mother and widow
Les Salimbenes: Gustave Doré, 1874
Form: The focal point is the child with its mother’s hand on its head. There is a lack of color in the background so that we can focus our attention on the family. We can tell by their expressions the intensity of the situation as their child gets injured and is bleeding to death. The white is a representation of purity, which means the accident wasn't his fault. The parent's face shows signs of regret, sadness, and worry.
Room#3
We will observe despair from a global perspective. Thousands of people going through turmoil and sadness due to things they cannot control. It brings awareness to the issues at hand so that they do not repeat and so that we can remember what they went through
Slaves, 1925 Thomas Hart Benton
(content) Thomas Benton was an art activist who created paintings of glimpses into American lives to bring awareness. During this period, There were racial difficulties such as the impact of slavery, racial brutality, prejudice, and abuse. A whole group of people were in despair and agonish, free but still trapped. (Form)The slave master holding the whip is a neutral color while the slaves have more earthy tones. The composition of the piece of diagonal and the focal point is the slave wearing a cloth around his waist. The nakedness represents vulnerability and lack of resources. The lines are loose to be about to express the emotion and turmoil that they went through.
The Crucifixion, Giambattista Tiepolo, 1745
(Content)Jesus Christ's dying on the cross brought agony and despair to those who love hm. He was nailed up to the cross by inhumane people, to take away the cost of sin. We can see the emotions of the women, including the virgin Mary, as they watch him pass away slowly.
Morris Kestelman, 'Lama Sabachthani”1934
(Content)The women are in agony because people are dying at the hands of the holocaust. The skies are filled with smoke due to cremation and people are starving and sick. We can see the emotions of people as they fear for their lives and see no hope.
Pablo Picasso, Guernica, 1937
Context) Alike to the painting in the other room, Picasso illustrates the horrors of the Spanish War. This piece portrays people on a wider spectrum. Thousand of people suffered from this tragedy and experienced grief, death, poverty, abuse, etc.{Form}: The lack of color is used to emphasize the events in the art piece. The sharp lines and shapes were used to be able to show the harshness and urgency of the illustration. The lack of space creates chaos which deepens the art. It has a horizontal composition as we are to look left to right.
Ending Message: Thank you for viewing my museum, I hope you enjoyed it! I hope that you got a broader understanding of despair and how it affects people small and large. If you're are dealing with despair, please know that you are not alone and that it is okay to get help if needed. If you see someone dealing with a s similar emotion, please remind them that you love them and that you're there for them.