American Spirit art show tugs at threads of freedom
American Spirit art show tugs at threads of freedom
By Ryah Cooley
After the final fireworks have gone off and the last hot dog and '
In 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt gave his famous State of the Union address on the "four freedoms," in which he outlined liberties that everyone should ideally enjoy, including freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear.
Looking to dig a little deeper than the stars and stripes, the Paso Robles Art Association took Roosevelt's speech as inspiration for its latest art show, American Spirit, currently on display at Studios on the Park.
Ruta Saliklis,
"We should do more than
While artists tackled different aspects and interpretations of the "four freedoms," two pieces in particular, by Lin Mercer and Janice Pluma, are different sides of the same coin when it comes to freedom from fear. In a
But Mercer's piece, Free, No Fear imagines a different world, a lighter world. Her acrylic painting shows several young girls laughing as they all attempt to do cartwheels and generally goof off and have fun in a field. The sun is shining, and these kids have nary a care in the world. It's a feeling Mercer wishes everyone could experience right now.
"I was trying to find something that felt a little
If Mercer's piece shows us where we want to be, then Pluma's is a stark, spellbinding representation of exactly where we are. The abstract acrylic painting Dark Times melds shades of black, white, and gray with hints of red. In the
With everything going on right now in the country and the world, Pluma said she's been trying to be a good citizen and keep up with current events. This effort began to take a toll on her, with each day seeming to bring something worse than before.
"I really started to get depressed," Pluma said. "This piece was cathartic for me. It seemed ironic to me that we're supposed to be caring for each other, but we manage to hurt other people."
Pluma thinks of Dark Times as an emotional depiction of war, conflict, or the clashing of ideas that just can't be reconciled. But aside from the confrontation in that piece, there's also a quiet whisper to love one another as well.
"So much of the troubles come from people who are different," Pluma said. "They are the 'other.' That becomes an excuse for so much violence that happens. I hope they [viewers of the art] reach out to other people and try to understand others on a personal level who are different from themselves." Δ
Ryah Cooley once memorized the First Amendment at rcooley@newtimesslo.com.
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