Atomic Vacation by Todd Schorr (Interpretation and Analysis)

-
Atomic Vacation
Source: RVA Mag

For some reason or another, humans seem to be obsessed with the idea of the apocalypse. Western culture, for example, is full of writings and images that explore the concept of the end times. They are particularly prevalent in Christian art, and Western art is full of such imagery, which is usually inspired by the biblical book of revelations. The four horsemen of the apocalypse are a particularly common motif. Ever since the German artist Albrecht Dürer created the first modern image of the horsemen, it has been a popular subject for Western subjects.

Atomic Vacation is a modern day take on this apocalyptic art. The artist, Todd Schorr, stated in an interview that the painting was inspired by the “Duck and Cover” nuclear threat drills that he endured as a child in the 1950s and 1960s. In Atomic Vacation, he combines this childhood sense of foreboding with some stereotypical imagery of the time period.

Here, we see the four horsemen of the apocalypse riding out of an atomic mushroom cloud composed of demons. Below the cloud, a smiling family prepares a picnic outside a camper van. Their faces are calm and impassive, seemingly unaware of the chaos going on above them.

The horsemen have red eyes and ride upon four wild-eyed horses; each of them bears the characteristics of their position. Pestilence bears an arrow and a crown, while war carries a flaming sword, and famine carries a set of scales; he is monstrously fat, a reminder of his all encompassing hunger. Death rides on the right in a black robe and carrying a scythe.

The painting is a veritable psychedelic kaleidoscope of religious symbols and pop-culture icons. It is this contrast that makes the painting interesting. The mundane picnic scene serves to draw attention to the apocalyptic horror going on above. There is also a contrast of time at play. The four horsemen first appeared in the bible thousands of years ago, but Schorr’s vacation scene is obviously modern. His style is obviously modern: clean and sharp with well-defined lines. Together, these elements create a thought provoking and fascinating piece of art. (Plus, it’s pretty entertaining too).

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Le Chat Aux Poissons Rouges by Henri Matisse (Interpretation and Analysis)

-
Image
Le Chat Aux Poissons Rouges Source: Pinterest French artist Henri Matisse is rather famous for his paintings of goldfish. In fact, one of his most famous paintings, entitled Goldfish , depicts several of the aforementioned fish swimming in a bowl. Matisse is one of the most famous artists of the twentieth century. His work is closely associated with the Fauvist movement and is generally characterized by great energy and rich, intense colors. Based on my research , Matisse began painting goldfish after he traveled to North Africa. In Morocco, Matisse observed locals watching goldfish swim in their bowls as they sunk into a meditative state. The fish subsequently became a symbol for this sense of tranquility, coming to represent an idyllic version of the world only accessible through joyous day-dreams. These calming fish are prominent in this painting, which is entitled Le Chat Aux Poissons Rouges (which translates to The Cat With Red Fishes ). However, the serene energy of the f...
Read more

Mural La Plena by Rafael Tufiño (Interpretation and Analysis)

-
Image
Mural la Plena Source: Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico Today I want to chat about a monumental piece of art that I recently had the pleasure of seeing at the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico. As the name suggests, Mural La Plena is a massive mural, fifteen by thirty feet in size, that was created by Puerto Rican artist Rafael Tufiño to commemorate la plena, a wildly popular genre of music that was born in the city of Ponce around 1900. The mural, which might appear abstract or incomprehensible to a viewer unfamiliar with the subject matter, illustrates the lyrics of popular plena songs. For example, the blue-green figure that dominates the upper half of the mural represents the hurricane from the plena “Temporal,” which mourns the destruction caused by a storm. Plena, as a genre, tells stories. According to my research , the lyrics come from current events, re-telling the stories that affected the lives of the people of Ponce. It began as a way for people of low socio-economic sta...
Read more

Five Puerto Rican Artists You Should Know

-
Image
The island of Puerto Rico has a long and vibrant artistic tradition. Western, Indigenous, and African cultures have all left their mark on Puerto Rican art, creating a colorful and unique visual legacy. While Puerto Rican artists have demonstrated their excellence throughout the years— from the creators of the captivating Taino petroglyphs to the sophisticated and subtle works of the Modernist painters—Puerto Rican art has received little attention from art historians and the wider art world. Here are five underappreciated Puerto Rican artists that you should know: 1. José Campeche José Campeche is often known as the first Puerto Rican painter in the Western history of fine arts. He was primarily known for his religious paintings and his portraits of elite Puerto Ricans, and today his work is recognized as some of the finest examples of Rococo art produced in the Americas. Campeche’s personal story is also inspiring. The son of a slave who had purchased his own freedom, Campech...
Read more