Museum Paper on Artwork

Art can be used as a means of communication. Important information through a piece of art can be relay to the viewers without words. Still live art is known for driving viewers into making connection with the art work and thereby coming up with stories behind the work.

Art work selection

After having a visit ot MOCA, I noticed a piece of art that is known as Between Lives by Anna Maria Maiolino. I chose this work due to the fact that it had a lot of stories in it. There were various eggs on the floor and the person walking carefully on the floor to avoid stepping on them communicated a message of the value of life. Apparently, an egg symbolizes life (Kemp-Welch 31). The artist utilized the egg to promote an understanding of the dream that there is potential in life development. The possibility of new life developing from the various eggs lying on the floor communicated a message that life is sacred, therefore, explaining why the person in the art was cautious enough to avoid stepping on any of them. Moreover, I also obtained information that an egg is fragile based on its potential to hold life. With this, I could easily understanding the feeling of the artist by simply looking at her work. Clearly, Anna was expressing the feeling of vulnerability and the need for further care and support. As a result, I wanted to know more about this feeling based on the environment that the eggs were. Through analysis of the art, I was going to obtain a clue about the presented situation and later develop a story.

Contextual Analysis

Between Lives by Anna Maria Maiolino was established in 1981 through the use of a gelatin silver print on paper technique (Agra 880). The artwork was originally established to evoke the tension existing between life and death. Apparently, the piece was established during a dictatorship period and was meant to serve as a response to it during the time. The obvious message evident in the work is political in nature (Scovino and Sergio 7). Clearly, one derives that those in power can oppress the subordinates at their will making them fell strange based on the danger posed to them ("Museum Previews." 21). The piece shows that danger exists for the eggs, thus communicating the feeling of feature and tension. The artist has played an important role in establishing an analogy between menace and repression originating from the noted dictatorship during the presented time. The major dilemma posed is that of having to make a choice between life and death which further reaffirms the fact that the eggs in the work symbolize life ("Galleries Museums and Artists." 61).
Looking at the environment in which the eggs are available, it is clear that they are at a threat. One can estimate that the potential for them to incubate and produce life is limited. The presented fact stems from the notion that the eggs are not protected. They are indeed in a threatening situation with the person walking in the picture having the power to determine their future and survival (Boxer 44). Failing to support the possibility that they are vulnerable communicates a message of danger. The people in leadership should acknowledge the notion that the people’s fate lies within their hands. Being in power means that they should undertake the responsibility of protecting the people rather than utilizing their abilities to oppress and deprive the people of a comfortable living ("Cm Interactive." 14). Apparently, the people are vulnerable and live only by their mercy. Communicating a message of peace, life, and the need for preserving life is highly important to out do the problem that dictatorship was causing to the people during the presented period.

Compositional Analysis

The art piece is composed of dozen of chicken eggs lying on the floor. The eggs seem to be scared all across the street with someone trying to navigate to avoid stepping on them. The artwork has a naturalistic appearance since it implements the use of natural patterns and real life objects ("The World Goes Pop." 29). The major technique utilized for the presented art is gelatin silver print on paper. The utilized descriptive technique is photographic triptych with the overall dimension of the work being estimated as 89,8 x 172,8 cm (Corrections." 14). The piece is further categorized under the Action photography with an entry date of 2012 (Whitney 53).

Conclusion

To summarize, art is regarded as an important means of communication. Through the use of symbolism, an artist can communicate a message to the people based on the current situation. The works of various artists such as Between Lives by Anna Maria Maiolino is important for communicating feelings through the use of symbolism. Clearly, the artist utilizes eggs to symbolize life through showing the vulnerability of the people based on the environment they are exposed. The people in power, who rely on dictatorship, pose a threat to the survival of their followers. Between Lives artwork communicates a feeling of fear and vulnerability and the need for protection by those in power.

Works Cited

Whitney, Kathleen. "Between Senses." Ceramics Monthly, vol. 63, no. 8, Oct. 2015, pp. 53-55.
Kemp-Welch, Klara. "Angela De La Cruz: After Anna Maria Maiolino: Continuous." Art Monthly, no. 336, May 2010, pp. 31-32.
Agra, Rosa María. "Research Update for Articles Published in EJCI in 2014." European Journal of Clinical Investigation, vol. 46, no. 10, Oct. 2016, pp. 880-894.
"Galleries Museums and Artists." Art in America, 105, no. 7, Art in America, LLC, Aug. 2017, pp. 61-202.
Boxer, Sarah. "Move Over, Michelangelo." Atlantic, vol. 318, no. 5, Dec. 2016, pp. 44-49.
Scovino, Felipe and Sérgio Bruno Martins. "Moacir Dos Anjos and Agnaldo Farias in Conversation with Felipe Scovino." Third Text, vol. 26, no. 1, Jan. 2012, pp. 5-15.
"The World Goes Pop." Art in America, vol. 103, no. 7, Aug. 2015, p. 29.
"Corrections." Ceramics Monthly, vol. 63, no. 9, Nov. 2015, p. 14.
"Cm Interactive." Ceramics Monthly, vol. 63, no. 9, Nov. 2015, p. 14.
"Museum Previews." Art in America, vol. 105, no. 7, Aug. 2017, pp. 21-48.