My taste in art has grown over the years, right alongside how I look at different art pieces and analyze them (yes, I tend to analyze artwork for fun). With all that I’ve been learning in my many English classes, analyzing a visual art piece is something that I’ve grown to be fairly decent at, and I enjoy letting my brain nerd out a bit as I look at the different factors that constitute the meaning of a particular piece. So, before I delve into my own analysis of this artwork, I shall describe it, and then give the title.
The background is that of a blue hue with simplistic gold drawings of leaves. The subject herself appears to be young, considering her black hair is in two braids and on the table in front of her she’s drawing the outline of a dress. Her gaze is cast downward, focusing on the task at hand. The artist paints her with a certain softness as the lines are somewhat blurred and not as clear cut. Overall, this piece seems to exude a sense of innocence and even childlike curiosity. One could potentially assume that this piece was intended as a snapshot of a simple life and, in a way, it is a reflection of life. A life very far from the one I personally live.
The artist of this piece is Malak Mattar, a Palestinian artist who was born in 1999 and raised in the Gaza Strip. She first began her art journey at thirteen years old during the 51-day Israeli assault on Gaza in 2014. Due to the blockade, she was unable to leave her house and so began posting her work on social media. Since then, she has produced 300 paintings and is currently studying under partial scholarships at Istanbul Aydin University. This brings me to the title of this particular work: “Palestinian Child Writing Their Will During an Israeli Aggression.”
Now, what can we, as the audience, infer about the piece after reading its title? Look at it again before reading further. Personally, my eyes are drawn right back to the outline of a dress on the pad in front of the little girl. Take from that what you will but personally, I can observe that a young child, barely old enough to read, is taking care to make sure her beloved possession is looked after should something happen to where she’s unable to do so herself. How heartwrenching is that? With the newly acquired knowledge from the title, I feel as though the meaning of the work overall shifts while still retaining some of the aforementioned concepts discussed earlier. There’s still the sense of softness and simplicity, but now, it’s like looking at a snapshot of the few moments of peace before a raging and devastating storm. Mattar manages to present a stark dichotomy between the artwork itself, and the intent with which she created it.
This is why I love art. Both visual, and written. Art is not only a way to express one's thoughts and emotions, it’s also a way to make people think about experiences that are not their own. It’s a reminder that as each of us are a part of the human race, we have a duty and responsibility to lift up those who are not able to stand and to speak when their voices are stolen from them. Many lessons can be learned from not only art, but also the artist. In an interview with GQ, Mattar makes a profound statement in saying, “I don’t paint despite war and occupation. I paint because of it. Living through this era of war, there’s a big part of me that wants to document. I have this feeling that everything I do will live longer than me, than everyone. Even with a portrait that has nothing to do with the situation, it is a document because I was the one who painted it. (Malak Mattar: 'I Don't Care How the World Sees Me' - GQ Middle East)”
Ultimately, it’s important to have an open and receptive mind when viewing any type of art piece, whether it be a sculpture or poetry. In having an open mind, we learn things about one another and ourselves, helping to uplift one another and the people around us.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.