Articles
Salvation Issue, fall 2023
writing by Deniz Bora, Gabriella Rice, and Emma Shearburn
In Defense Of “The Embrace”
By Emma Shearburn
How sexualizing Boston’s new Martin Luther King Jr. monument discounts the legacy it represents.
Photo: Emma Shearburn
Emma is a senior majoring in the History of Art and Architecture and minoring in business. She runs the Squinch Instagram, and enjoys writing and exploring all facets of the art world, especially contemporary art. She hopes to move to New York after graduation to continue her art world ventures.
Image of Dr. and Mrs. King’s grasped arms in Hank Willis Thomas’s The Embrace sculpture. Taken Feb. 5, 2023.
Photograph of Tyre Nichols’s memorial in Boston Common. Taken Feb. 5, 2023.
A photograph of Hank Willis Thomas’s The Embrace in Boston Common park, Boston, Massachusetts. Taken Feb. 5, 2023. All images courtesy of the writer.
On Sunday, February 5th after a brunch at the Newbury Hotel, I decided to take a short trek to the Boston Commons to witness Hank Willis Thomas’s new work, The Embrace, for myself. The work shows a physical ‘embrace’ between Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife Coretta Scott King on the day he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.
My first thought upon seeing the sweeping, shiny bronze sculpture was its impressive size, standing at 20 feet tall and 40 feet wide. Many people around and under the statue snapped selfies and photographs. In spite of the activity occurring in the park, the onlookers appeared both quiet and respectful. Everyone was somber, keeping their conversations hushed in respect for MLK’s legacy. As I inched closer, the work’s details came to life. The cufflinks and buttons of Martin Luther King’s jacket and the simple bracelet on Coretta Scott King’s wrist add to the humanness of the work. Despite its abstract display, the material elements of the piece rooted the work in reality. Their arms intertwine in a powerful, tight, hug while the fingers of both Dr. and Mrs. King gently grasped onto one another, juxtaposing and complementing each other.
The work, which debuted three weeks prior to my visit, faced immediate backlash. Many claimed the figurative hug looked like a sexual act between King and his wife. Seneca Scott, a cousin of Coretta Scott King, voiced his thoughts on the debate surrounding Thomas’s piece. In an essay for Compact Magazine, Scott wrote about his opinion on the work: “Ten million dollars were wasted to create a masturbatory metal homage to my legendary family member.” While I understand how at a certain angle the arm may look phallic to some, I wholeheartedly disagree that it reflects the piece as a whole. Upon seeing the work myself, I found it entirely non-sexual. Out of thousands of works submitted, Thomas’s piece was vetted and ultimately chosen for a good reason. It is about strength, humility, togetherness, and equality for all and represents the legacy of Martin Luther King.
As I continued to circle the Common, there was a temporary memorial for Tyre Nichols that caught my attention. Nichols was a twenty nine year-old black man killed by six police officers on January 7, 2023, in Memphis, Tennessee. Two pictures showed Nichols smiling happily at the camera. Along with the images, there was a skateboard, candles, and many bouquets of flowers laying on the cement. It was powerful. Its placement tied the importance of Martin Luther King’s legacy directly to the present by showing onlookers that racial injustice still exists.
Hank Willis Thomas’s work evokes a reminder of how far we have come and how much further we must go in the fight for racial justice. The Embrace functions as a memorial for both Martin Luther King, as well as young Black men around the country. It serves as a reminder that for real change to occur we must all embrace each other and find beauty in one another, rather than focusing on our differences.
Sources:
Seneca Scott: A Masturbatory ‘Homage’ to My Family
https://compactmag.com/article/a-masturbatory-homage-to-my-family
Vincent van Gogh, Sunflowers, 1889. Arles, France. Oil on Canvas, 95cm x 73cm. "Netherlands-4029 - Sunflower (Last One of the Van Goghs and one of his greatest)" by archer10 (Dennis) is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/?ref=openverse.
Overlooked and Overshadowed
By Gabriella Rice
How Climate Activists Have Ignored the Importance Behind van Gogh’s Sunflowers
Photo: Gabriella Rice
Gabriella is a senior majoring in History of Art and Architecture and Religious Studies. She is fascinated by the iconography developed in the Medieval and Renaissance areas, wishing to study their progression and use through time. Gabriella hopes to become an art curator, specifically in highlighting Renaissance works and bringing them into conversation with modern topics
For the past two years, the world watched as paintings were hit with everything but the kitchen sink. Oil, cake, mashed potatoes, and soup have been launched at priceless works, according to an article by The Washington Post, at a rapidly growing rate.
The motivation behind these protests is understandable and undeniable. Governments and institutions have been unwilling to listen to or acknowledge climate change science. Leaders pledge to cut back on fossil-fuel emissions, yet they take their private jets to conferences. Bankers donate thousands of dollars to charity, only a drop in the vast ocean of their financials.
Such hypocrisy has led to people taking matters into their own hands. The U.K.-based climate action group Just Stop Oil is notable for their controversial protests. In their demonstrations, the group emphasizes human rights violations during the current climate crisis–a right to food, to an affordable life, and to a clean earth.
What these protesters seem to miss, however, is that their actions are misplaced. Their war is with the institutions and donors of the works, not artworks themselves.
My Reaction
When I saw the title “Activists Throw Soup on Van Gogh Painting,” I was disturbed.
As someone who struggles with mental health and has turned towards art as a respite, I felt attacked—these protesters had targeted the one place in the world where I felt safe. I felt betrayed, but more so saddened. How can you attempt to destroy something that brings joy to a person’s life? Van Gogh’s works sought to function as a lighthouse in his dark world.
Vincent van Gogh’s struggle with mental health is widely known and recorded through his letters to his brother Theo. The letters, which date back to 1872, map out van Gogh’s struggle with mental health and his general life, which blossomed from his time in Paris. Eventually, van Gogh moved to rural France, and after multiple mental breakdowns, he committed suicide.
The lack of research and the sporadic nature of these climate protests is dangerous, not necessarily for the art, but for their cause. In conversations I have had with friends and family, I heard them voice their concern about the art in these protests, condemning the protesters and their jaded nature—ignoring the significance of the art. In cases such as the protest with Botticelli’s Primavera or Monet’s Les Meules, the wonder of painting and stories is lost among the protesters.
Yet, particularly in conversations with others who struggle with mental health, the topic of mental health erasure and invalidation came up. The lack of context around the destroyed painting and its history exposes a lack of respect for the artist. This vandalism feels like a kick in the face—like protesters do not care about the significance of the painting in van Gogh or anyone else’s lives.
The Protesters’ Perspectives
In a conversation with the Washington Post, a spokesperson from Just Stop Oil stated, “Art and the public gallery is a contested place, it does not exist and cannot exist outside of the wider debate and arguments taking place in society.” Indeed, museums should not be stale institutions whose works on the walls collect dust like books on a shelf; however, it would be wrong to say that this relationship is not reciprocal.
People can use art to understand and explore contemporary social topics, often in the form of gallery talks or museum tours. The topics of a tour range from women’s rights to African American history—even to climate change! These specific tours allow for people to converse and contemplate the importance of what they see in front of them and connect it to contemporary topics. Here we find the essence of art—to look at and analyze a subject to understand the world around them.
What climate protests miss is a desire to connect with the art. Why do they ignore the arguments or debates inspired by the art? Especially during a time where mental health has become a global epidemic, how can activists and viewers ignore the part that art plays in release and recovery? Even for van Gogh, art was a comfort—a vehicle that could distract in a period where everything seemed hopeless.
Future of Climate Protests
Since November of 2022, the world has been quiet. There have been no new reports of artworks being attacked nor large protests for climate justice. What does this mean? Have these organizations gone into hibernation, set to come out again in the spring? Hopefully, the leaders of organizations such as Just Stop Oil have learned that attacking art alienates prospective supporters.
As an art historian, I can acknowledge the importance of the cause represented by these protests. However, I cannot, under any circumstance, support its attack on art. Hopefully, there can be some form of compromise between climate protesters and museums. Perhaps wall texts around the gallery explain climate change’s impact on the landscapes in front of them. Or maybe a joint exhibition led by the organizations to show how famous landscapes look today—here, we can find a true conversation between art and politics.
Sunflowers remains unharmed and on display at the National Gallery in London.
Sources:
Benzine, V. (2022, October 31). Here is every artwork attacked by climate activists this year, from the 'Mona Lisa' to 'girl with a pearl earring'. Artnet News. Retrieved February 28, 2023, from https://news.artnet.com/art-world/here-is-every-artwork-attacked-by-climate-activists-this-year-from-the-mona-lisa-to-girl-with-a-pearl-earring-2200804
Dolsak, N., & Prakas, A. (2022, October 20). Will hurling tomato soup on Van Gogh's sunflowers advance climate policy?Forbes. Retrieved February 28, 2023, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/prakashdolsak/2022/10/19/will-hurling-tomato-soup-on-van-goghs-sunflowers-advance-climate-policy/?sh=33b30c349979
Gayle, D. (2022, October 14). Just stop oil activists throw soup at Van Gogh's sunflowers. The Guardian. Retrieved February 28, 2023, from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/14/just-stop-oil-activists-throw-soup-at-van-goghs-sunflowers
Pesce, N. L. (2020, January 18). Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, worth $117 billion, is getting burned online for only donating $690,000 to Australian wildfire relief. MarketWatch. Retrieved February 28, 2023, from https://www.marketwatch.com/story/amazon-ceo-jeff-bezos-worth-117-billion-is-getting-burned-online-for-only-donating-690000-to-australian-wildfire-relief-2020-01-13
Suliman, A. (2022, November 15). World's museums urge climate activists targeting 'irreplaceable' art to stop. The Washington Post. Retrieved February 28, 2023, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2022/11/11/climate-change-protesters-art-museums/
van Gogh, V. (n.d.). To Theo van Gogh. The Hague, Sunday, 29 September 1872. (001). 001 (001, 1): To Theo van Gogh. The Hague, Sunday, 29 September 1872. - Vincent van Gogh Letters. Retrieved March 28, 2023, from https://vangoghletters.org/vg/letters/let001/letter.html
Art And Endurance: Reflections On Pérez Art Museum Miami
By Deniz Bora
The effects of tropical spacial design on visitors’ experience at the vibrancy of Contemporary Latin American art within Pérez Art Museum Miami..
Photo: Deniz Bora
Deniz attained her Bachelors degree in the History of Art and Architecture and Archeology in the Spring of 2023. She is currently pursues her Masters degree in Art History at Tufts University, with the goal of becoming a curator in a museum that specializes in Global Contemporary Art.
Alfredo Jaar, I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On, 2016. Neon, 19 5/8 x 19 5/8 inches. Miami, PAMM.
Image of the outside of the Pérez Art Museum Miami. All images courtesy of the writer.
Closeup of the foliage surrounding PAMM’s entrance.
Last summer, I traveled to Miami with my mother and sister. We love traveling together and experiencing new places, yet, unfortunately, they are less interested in museums than I am. The first thing I do when I visit a new city is to look up the nearest museums; that’s how I found out about Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM). So I left behind my travel companions and spent a day at PAMM.
Walking towards the entrance, I realized this museum would be entirely different from those in an urban city. Unlike the familiar Neoclassical facades of the MET or the MFA Boston, PAMM has quite a unique, organic structure. Submerged under greenery and palm trees, it reminds visitors that they are, indeed, in Miami. The museum displays Modern and Contemporary artists from around the world, yet, there is an emphasis on Latin American artists, as it reflects the cultural heritage of Latin America and the African Diaspora in Miami. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about new artists and viewing artworks that reflect Miami’s diversity.
Hulda Guzmán, Under the Flamboyan, 2020. Acrylic gouache on canvas, 47 7/8 x 29 1/2 inches. Miami, PAMM.
I was especially thrilled to find out about Hulda Guzmán. Born in 1984 in Santo Domingo, Guzmán creates gouache paintings that depict the natural beauty of her hometown. Her work Under the Flamboyan immediately attracted my attention with its bright colors and crisply painted figures. The lush greenery in its composition reflects the peace and joy of spending time in nature; I thought it fit well with the natural backdrop of Miami. As someone currently living in Boston, I questioned how much I enjoy nature in an urban city. Guzmán’s painting embodies an ideal natural landscape, specifically the Caribbean, as the artist intends to draw attention to the adverse effects of urbanization in the region. Although the work can be received as lighthearted at first sight, these subcontexts lead the viewer to think about nature more broadly. The humans are depicted on a much smaller scale than the natural landscape, accentuating humanity’s place within the grandeur of the natural world. The scene also depicts how happiness can best be achieved when in harmony with nature. This is also reflected in the museum structure’s cohabitation with its natural surroundings. I choose to read this work from a positive perspective. It captures the endurance of nature and how it sustains and enlivens the world of humans.
Another work that impressed me greatly is by the well-known artist Alfredo Jaar, I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On. Jaar was born in Santiago, Chile, in 1956 and currently lives in New York. He frequently uses neon in his works because they are familiar images to the general public. Jaar utilizes neon signs as tools for making social and political statements. They usually address global issues such as war and injustice. Viewing this work alongside other political artworks, however, may limit viewers’ interpretation of his work.
The lines “I Can’t Go On” and “I’ll Go On” speak to the difficulty of finding a will for endurance during difficult times. It is possible for every viewer to relate as it speaks to a common human experience personally. At first glance, the neon light attracts viewers’ attention as the vibrant colors of red and yellow contradict the gravity of the message. With a closer inspection, it can be inferred that the artist is taking on an optimistic attitude in presenting his message. The second part, “I’ll Go On,” is written larger than “I Can’t Go On,” making the eye focus on it more. The sentence captures how hope and hopelessness are intertwined during difficult times, yet, it encourages the idea that even when one loses the will to fight, the choice not to give up is what matters. Despite being quite a simplistic artwork, it left the strongest emotional impact on me as a viewer. Although Jaar intends to speak for the experiences of people who endure pressing issues such as poverty, inequality, and injustice, the work reminded me of moments in my own life when I relied on similar phrases for strength. In times of struggle, the phrase “I’ll go on” becomes almost a mantra that turns into reality the more it is repeated to one’s self. As much as the artwork causes the viewer to dive into their dismal memories, it also infuses hope for endurance. Although everyone’s life struggles differ, Jaar’s work resonates with everyone.
Despite being different stylistically and thematically, these two works impressed me the most during my visit. There are many other artworks in the museum that are as colorful, impactful, and thought-provoking - all valuable examples of Contemporary Latin American art and a reflection of the vibrant cultural scene in Miami. Although visiting a museum is not the first activity that comes to mind for most when in Miami, I strongly recommend planning a day at PAMM and enjoying art with nature in this beautiful city.