MICHAEL T. FIGUEROA
NIU ART Education+design
VCBD 5
Big Idea/Subject: Social Order
Major Theme: Individual Identity
Medium/ Presentation: Mixed media
Visual Components: Movement, color, scale, contrast, space, texture, value, line
Category: Pop Culture
Authorship: Sepe
Title: The Golden Age of Grotesque
Original Location: Lawrence Alkin Gallery, London
Discription/Interpretation:
The piece here is done by a Polish street artist, Sepe. “In this piece, Sepe has painted two characters wearing masks and clown-like costumes – a metaphoric way of looking at individuals and the presentation of self in the modern world. Like his powerful street work, this show is holding a mirror up to society and questioning the individual and the roles we play in the modern world”, (Strider, 2015, 1amsf.com)
I see a large-scaled piece of art that is very interesting and hard to pull away from. The large scale may represent the enormity of the challenges our youth might face. I get a sense of questioning by the mood this piece is giving. Why do the two figures, look troubled, or distressed, I’m asking myself? There is a bit of humor in a dark form presented? I see clown costumes, which suggests a bit of humor, but the masks are sad looking. The style is very pleasing, and with the drips as texture, it gives the impression of movement. The Mickey Mouse hat is symbolic to children. I feel that this is a commentary for children’s expectations on being a adult. I see random areas of red paint that maybe represent blood, pain, fear, and heart.
Use in Teaching:
Based on Sepe’s work in the image above, why do you think Sepe wants to focus his work on questioning society? How does he show this with his piece? Does scale have anything to do with his expression? What kind of issues would students be questioning? Would students question their parents’/teachers’ authority? If students had to express their art on a large-scale surface, what would they make inspired by Sepe’s The Golden Age of Grotesque?