rochagirls4AK

   I decided on the topic of diversity in art. I am featuring 3 very different cultures. The Hollywood culture from the 1960s, ancient culture from Nigeria, and American Native Culture. I stumbled upon this topic after spending a significant amount of time looking for pieces that I could somewhat relate to and would have a type of connection.   Pop Culture - Marilyn Monroe was a huge movie star in the 1960s. Her picture is probably one of the best known of all Hollywood stars. So much so that her looks have been emulated thousands of times by women. I like this painting as it brings her pictures from the black and white of the 1960s photographs to modern vibrant colors which seems to better suit her public persona. The black and white photos are a little depressing and it masks some of her beautiful facial features. I think she would be pleased with this transition to brighter colors as it seems to change the whole mood of the painting by giving her a happier look on her face. ss A

  THE COTTON PICKERS I am a child of depression era parents. There were many stories told to me by my parents about how life was a daily struggle for them during that time and how they never really had enough to eat. My father was born in 1919 and my mother in 1926. From what they told me, this picture is an accurate display of working in the fields. My father would tell me about carrying water to his father working in the field every day. My mother was working at the early age of 5 picking cotton every day with a huge white sack over her shoulder to carry the cotton in. She and her father were exhausted every day. Eventually, due to some unexpected events, she was allowed to attend school instead of working. I like this painting for its accuracy from how the workers are hunched over to pick the cotton, and that the clouds and the pale color of the cotton meet in the distance to show the enormous size of these fields. I can’t imagine being expected to handpick all off that cotton.