The aftermath of september 11, 2001 left a big impact on the people of the U.S. I was twelve years old when the tradegy happened. I was in my literacy class when I heard the speaker in my class start to call out names. My name was among the ones called, and we were to report to the auditorium. I soon realized my mom had picked up all my siblings from school and I was the last one left. I remember that day very clearly. At the time I was oblivious to the fact that the United States had just undergone a frighting attack, that the lives of everyone had just been altered forever. However these changes have been both negative and positive. The negative would be that many innocent lives were taken that day. Due to the attacks security measures increased dramatically. Some people feel safer while others feel it's too much, for example all the chaos and things they have to go through in the airports. The positive changes would be the increase in focus in security, personally I don't mind. The events also helped us all unite as a family as we all grieved the demise of the twin towers and the lives taken that day.
As I was walking through the september gallery, my attention was instantly drawn to the two big black body bags on the wall. I was horrified by the display and I knew I had to read the artists explanation. I felt the artist was very clever as I realized what the bags were meant to represent. They portrayed a very emotional symbol of that day. I came to understand that the significance of the empty bags relates to the same emptiness of the many bodies not found. Personally it also gives me a sense of the vacant hearts of the victims family members who were lost and the emptiness in the future of the area that once held the twin towers. Another shocking realization was that the bags were placed vertically on the wall imitating the towers. It was intresting to me how the artist was able to resemble so much.
Another work of art that jumped out at me was that of a painting. I love paintings and this particular one caught my attention. It represented the view of New york city. As I looked closely at the details I soon realized there was one crucial detail missing. The twin towers were missing and I knew then that it had been made after the tradegy. I believe it was very hard for many people to take pictures and know that the twin towers were no longer part of New york city. The title "Dark Afternoon" that Jane Freilicher chose, to me fits the picture perfectly because not only was it a dark afternoon physically, the hearts of many were filled with pain, hurt and most of all anger. Anger represents the darkness of that afternoon, at least to me.
The many pictures and newspaper clippings behind the big frames protecting them caught my attention. The display made me sick, it represents nothing but hate, anger and despair. I feel that patriotism is a great quality to have, however it can also bring the worst in people. At times it gives no room for friendships with other people from different countries. The display was disturbing, but at the same time it's the reality we have faced and continue to face. I saw many portaying Osama bin laden as their hero while others let their hatred for him show too. We are all so different from each other and this results in war and terror.
Overall the works of art that I encountered and captured my attention contemplated alot on the events of september 11. They all represented in their own ways the pain that was felt that day by all of us. It also did change my view on art. For example, the body bags displayed on the wall at first felt ridiculous to me because to me art is when an artist takes the time to build a scuplture or paint a picture. And the bags were just bags to me when I first saw them and held no significance whatsoever. So when I read the discription I was both impressed and I realized that it was created by him and he gave his art it's voice and it's significance. Therefore my perspective has changed, I feel I won't be too quick to judge a piece of art before I actually take the time to analyze it and see it from both my perspective and the perspective of the artist.
Cris Cristofaro
"Silent Calling"
2011
Jane Freilicher
"Dark Afternoon"
2001
Willem de Rooij
"Index: Riots, Protest, Mourning and Commemoration"
Jan 2000-July 2002
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