Tuesday 6 November 2012

Holocaust Paintings

Reading up on the Holocaust and finishing Maus reminds me of some paintings I did. The Holocaust obviously inspired these.






by Manu Gopinath

8 comments:

  1. Very nice! Both paintings grabs my attention in different ways. I like the used of Red in the first monochromatic painting. Red is not only the colour of blood and gore but also used to capture attention and emotions. The White teeth highlight this painting because it emphasizes the open and twisted mouth. This makes me feel the torture the skull suffered before their death. Just like the Holocaust, the painting well captures the horrific and dangerous atmosphere. The Red twisted sky, the ground covered in bones and skulls, and the only one man standing near the horizon.

    The second one is almost like an achromatic painting because the blue used in the background is so subtle compared to the blood red. The white fog the background together with the detailed face and the smile gives me chills. The statues give a well composed piece, but their pose or action were not quite clear. This could be a good thing because it allows the pointy weapon to standout and creates dynamic through repetition.

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  2. Fantastic paintings Manu! I take it you did these paintings in first year? I recall seeing the second one up in the hallway, perhaps both of them. I’m not sure which painting I like more because they both have such a good use of staging and dramatics. These two paintings are perfect for this assignment and you also show glimpses of the great Art Spiegelman. Although both paintings are monochromatic, I love the use of red on the second painting, showing this Nazi in charge walking through this empty, cold space with blood all over his boots. This painting reminds me of Hermann Goring in “Schindlers List”. The first painting gives me the impression of just pure hell. Displaying a large black and red swirl over top of a Nazi general surrounded by countless amounts of dead bodies. Such an interesting view and perspective on such a terrible time period in history.


    KYLE LOCKREY

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  3. I remember when you did these paintings. The 2nd for sure could fit in almost perfectly with the Graphic Novel. Although the Red monochromatic painting is powerful, I love the cold black and white of the second. The splashes of red across the snow make the use of the colour so much more powerful and impactful. While the first one looks like it could be from the pits of hell, I find the second more frightening. It's more realistic approach reminds you of how real the atrocities of the war were, how fear and hate can be so easily twisted.

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  4. Powerful work Manu. the limited pallet really lends itself to creating stark and psychologically challenging imagery here. Specifically in the dislocation in the jaw and the brilliant white teeth in the top red one. It really looks like the skull has been stepped on, broken down under some boot heel. It reminds of the illustrations on the inside sleeves of Maus the rows of break faced mice-men. Also the numerous renditions of piles of corpses that unfortunately are nebulous in the book.
    I always worry, when I see artwork like this about the emotional or psychological state of the artist whilst he was creating them? Is one detached and absorbed in the details? Working away on the craftsmanship, engrossed by the brush as it tickles the page rather on the whole image. It reminds me of the art of Blake and his own confused and often deranged mental states. Hoe did working on these make you feel Manu? was there any residual impact? That you thought of them whilst reading Maus suggests to me that there must have been some emotional connection, specifically between these pictures and the experience told in the Novel.

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  5. Hi, I'm going to use the top image for a report on a piece of Holocaust Art, but all I need to know is the artist, the date it was made, and any other useful information.

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    Replies
    1. I found the Artist, but I don't know the date it was created.

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  6. can you tell more information about the paintings and the background information

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  7. what type of painting is this?

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