Thursday, November 11, 2010

How About No More War?

      On a website called costofthewar.com, we can  read that the war in Afghanistan has cost more that 800,000,000,000 dollars. That's eight hundred billion (with a B) dollars. In a comment by Steven O. in response to my Blogpost, Patriotic Art, Steven imagined a conceptual artwork that would utilize 800 billion bullets- one for each dollar spent-  built into a pyramid.  Supposing the actual size of a standard issue M-16 rifle bullet, a solid pyramid would be as big as the Pyramid at Giza in Egypt.  What have we as a society built?
    My question for today's blogpost is, "How can artists be peacemakers in our world?"
What images, sculptures, installations or activities can be made that could move our society to a more rational response to danger, alienation and fear?
    Think and imagine an artistic response to the theme IMAGINE PEACE. Describe your artwork. Questions you can ask yourself might be, "What kind of image would have a strong impact on the viewer?" How can my work be visually poetic? How can I make something memorable?
    
  
 

12 comments:

  1. As a way to represent peace through artwork, I would paint the White House up in flames. This piece would be an example showing what war can result in. When looking at this painting, you should ask yourself, "Is this what I want, is this what WE want, as a nation, to happen to us?" War is a terrible thing and this work shows us the horrors of what is possible each and every day. People don't generally like to think this could happen, in our own backyard, but while waging a war, it is very possible. In result, I believe this painting could stand as an advocate to end war, and bring peace, to avoid something similar to the events of 9/11 happening again.

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  2. My artwork that would represent peace would be I would make a statue that represented the day and night. Making this artwork would show that how great life actually is and how it shouldn't be ruined. Also the artwork would show, in the daytime, life and everything around it during a sunny day. And at nigh time it will show calm and silent night with a bright moon out shinning. Artists can be peacemakers by making masterpieces to show calmness and peace around the world.

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  3. To show peace through artwork I would paint a soldier saying goodbye to his family. Surely if people saw the effects of war on families they would be more reluctant to start wars. This would cause many people with families to think twice before voting for certain politicians. These types of artwork could not stop all wars, but hopefully make an impact.

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  4. Lawrence Kondra said...

    My artwork would be a father leaving his family and home with crying children, and the slogan under it would be, "think about the children" this represents how the war in fact impacts the lives of the children. They may never see thi father again, and worry every day about his safety. People don't realize that kids understand what war is and the psychological effects that could happen from a dramatic war.

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  5. My art work would show two things. At he bottom of the painting, there would be a scene of bloody violent warfare. Fathers killing sons, children killing soldiers, total mayhem. But at the top, there would be a single dove to symbolize peace. The dove would be surrounded by beautiful blue sky and clouds to symbolize how the world should act. peace, not war.

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  6. For my art work, I would have people encircling the earth, hand in hand, with smiles on their faces. People of all race, gender, and sexuality will come together as ONE and bring peace and unification to the world.

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  7. Thank you to all who have responded so far to this posting.

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  8. If I created an artistic response to the theme of Imagine Peace, it would be a room full of people both famous and infamous for their ideas or actions towards others. Not only would they be together in the same room, but they would also be shaking hands, both in acknowledging and forgiving each other. This would symbolize peoples' ability to forgive and embrace after hardship. This image presents an idea of peace where people with their own ideas and actions can come together in unity, without harming each other. (Think of a Last Supper, but instead of Jesus and his disciples, imagine figures such as Hitler, Obama, or a mercenary from Darfur, etc.)

    Kensinger, P.2

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  9. I would paint a portrait of a small child wearing military gear and holding a rifle, with red tears rolling down his cheeks. Not only do some nations use children not even in their teen years as soldiers, but the so-called "civilized" societies send young men and women that are my age to premature deaths. I would hope that the painting would bring that reality into people's minds; wars are led by adults, but fought by kids.

    Quinn Period 1

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  10. Thanks to all who responded. I want to note especially John Q's observation that, "Wars are led by adults, but fought by kids". Powerful statment. Lawrence K. also made a point to "think about the children". War making impacts the lives of children in war zones, but also here in the U.S. when they watch their parents go to war.

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  11. I would make a wall with all of the names affected by the war in the middle east. these names would be surrounded by flowers and would have how they died, date and place of where they died.

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  12. Artists can stop war by expressing their idea in a way for people to see what our world has come to just like how steven talked abouyt the pyramid. That art will certainly catch people's attention.

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