Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Occupy and Mural

There is a clear connection between the painting and today.  The similarities like the wealthy getting richer while the poor trudge and struggle to work illustrate an eerie déjà vu.  The buildings being built signify the wealthy/ leaders of the country ignoring the poor and serving their needs as well.  The buildings being constructed signifies wasted resources that could go to services for the less fortunate to access.  Similarly the wasted resources that could go towards helping people who are now protesting, it’s instead squandered on war and foreign conflicts when a severe conflict is arising in domestically.  The guard watching over the horde of sleeping homeless is similar to the police surveying the occupy protesters.  The bank showing the few wealthy people counting their fortunes is a connection to the one percent of the people in this country holding most of the wealth.  The dividers themselves can be an obvious symbol of the opportunity divide itself.  As I look at the mural the depth of field showing light going to dark highlights the glory for the rich but misery for the working and poor.  That simply means while the rich have money they are ignoring the whole problem which is the lack of opportunity while the working see no end in sight to inequality.  The fact that the mural itself was torn down is an indirect signal of rich people denial.  They don’t want to admit they’re wealth is thanks to the rigors of the destitute and poor.

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