Atlanta Contemporary Art Museum
- tykent
- Mar 19, 2017
- 5 min read
The hubby loves finding things to do that interests me. Don't get me wrong, he loves a good ole NFL, NBA, of MLB game. He is the type of guy that loves putting a smile on my face. I have never experienced anyone like him in my life. I am someone who celebrates creativity from all different angles. I love to get to know people, but there's nothing like getting to know someone through there creativity. You really get to see inside the mind of that person. The hubby took me to Atlanta Contemporary Art Center and I loved it! It is always free (although donations are always welcomed), and they showcase many different artists. The exhibition we attended was Lonnie Holley I Snuck off the Slave Ship. The artist, Lonnie Holley, is someone who expresses his creativity through music, drawing, painting, and just random things of the earth. Below you will see some of my fav pieces that stood out, the meaning behind each of them from the artist, and my interpretation of them as well.
This is probably my top piece. When looking at it you get mixed body parts of adult and child. It definitely shows how the child in us (even as adults) is constantly trying to measure up to the expectations of the ones before us. Rather you define that as your parents, grandparents, activists, leaders, etc. There is always something on the inside of us constantly trying to measure up. While trying to measure up we loose ourselves. We become confused as to who we are. That is where the one body different body parts come in. We don't look like one person, we look like many.
I loved this one because of the message behind it; children being too young to die. My brother never really got to experience his own life. He only experienced the life given to him. It really sucks when you think about children dying because many children are treated as someone who doesn't have an identity. There identity is through someone else. They never really get to experience their God-given life, only their man-given life.
I love this painting. We are all rooted, but do we really know our roots. I'm not talking about the roots the world teaches us of. I'm talking about the true foundation of life. Those are the roots in all of us. Those roots unite us. The problem is that we have lost site in our roots. Roots are the foundation of a tree that is planted. When a tree establishes strong roots, nothing can tear it down because the roots are keeping the tree planted. No matter how bad the storm gets, those roots keeps the tree from falling. I have gotten back to my true roots and that is why I am still standing today.
This stood out to me because it represents the lost children. There are so many children dying before death because they have fallen into depression and turned to the world for understanding because no one is teaching them. Parents have become so caught up in their dreams, goals and trying to fill deficits that they have lost sight in the true purpose of life. Our children are our purpose. There's no need to be seeking it in the world. Everything you do outside your home is extra credit. The true test of life is the success of your household. Let's get back to God's purpose.
This ties into the painting above, My Roots are in Me. The presentation of how the bike is completely covered in debris, run down, and rusted shows what a fast life can do to you. You will become unrecognizable because you are trying to go after things at your own pace and your own understanding instead of taking the time to get planted in your roots. We live in a time where everyone think they have the answers to everything. That is dangerous because not only are they leading themselves to a self-driven path but they are also leading others. I know I don't have all the answers. When I have questions, I go back to my roots. I continue to seek wisdom daily by praying and studying my roots (The Bible).
Veils cloud your vision. We are living in a world of veils. Everyone only sees what they want to see because they haven't removed their veils. The veil of people is the world, the television, social media, etc. We are allowing the world to give us our vision and how we see life. It wasn't until I completely denied myself and gave my life to Christ that I saw the world for what it truly was. My vision became clear because I removed the veil of the world. One of the first things I prayed for on my new found walk with Christ was a renewing of my mind, sight, and heart. How can we expect change while looking at the world through the same eyes and never really seeing what needs to be seen in order to produce change.
I LOVE THIS! This is so true for so many children. Like I stated above, children are lost because of the lack of true wisdom. Because the artist wasn't getting understanding in his home, he went out into the world to get his knowledge. Parents are only instilling their interpretation of the world into their children. What ever the parent experienced in life is what life is about. SO NOT TRUE. We can't hide our children from the world because of our bad experiences. We can't protect our children from the world that way. We have to teach them with the true wisdom in being content with the good and overcoming the bad. I was raised to stay in a child's place which is don't question anything and do what you are told. A teacher can tell you that a child's understanding and learning comes by asking questions and making mistakes. Get them rooted, build two-sided relationships of understanding and love, pick them up when they fall, and instill into them their God-given purpose. Our children's lives are not ours. Their life is not theirs. Their life belongs to God.
Last but not least, Black Tears. Now when I first saw this one, I felt like it could be interpreted in so many ways. When I first look at this I see a black woman with red lipstick and what appears to be rollers in her hair. I interpreted as a black woman trying to fit into the world's image of beauty and becoming emotionally overwhelmed with the pressures. On the inside of this woman, she wants to embrace her true beauty, but on the outside she just want to be accepted as beautiful. The black tears is an inward cry but the artist wanted it to be something the eyes can see. Now this didn't have a paragraph of the artist's perspective, so this is my interpretation of this piece. Comment below and tell me how do you interpret it.
I think it is safe to say, I really enjoyed myself. I loved reading the artist's interpretation as well as interpreting it myself. The great thing about art is that there are many interpretations. Share your interpretation in the comment section. I would love to know. Remember to always keep God first and be beautifully you!
