Unit 4 WIP - Artificial Sweeteners

For my next post, I'll be presenting a rhetorical analysis on the health impacts of artificial sweeteners. We hear about artificial sweeteners a lot in the media, and their supposed health benefits and risks. We might even see the occasional discussion chain about artificial sweeteners on social media sites. Whether it's a result of clever advertising or popular misinformation, it's our job as informed readers to be able to distinguish the truth from myths. That's also why I chose this topic; I feel like it would be an interesting thing to really understand the details about.

I'll be discussing the approaches and points of views from two academic disciplines: biology (or, more specifically, immunology) and nutrition science. The two articles that I'll be referencing from these disciplines include original research, and present the implications of the artificial sweeteners differently. The biologist/immunologist point of view is very detailed, and explains the mechanics behind what happened during their experiment, but "fails to deliver" in the end, or explain how these could impact the future for the reader. The nutrition science point of view thoroughly relates its findings with the reader and what's happening in the real world, but does not completely explain the details behind why some of the results happened. Only seeing one side of this topic and not the other could result in an ultimately incomplete understanding, or maybe even misinformed position, which is why seeing the differences and strengths between these two approaches is crucial.

Unit 4 WIP - Minimum Wage

For my next post, I will be discussing the idea of minimum wage from the point of view of an economist and a sociologist. I have decided to write about the minimum wage because it is something that affects a significant amount of today’s workforce, and it also plays a big role on the economy of a country with a minimum wage. I have also worked a job that pays minimum wage, and I have always wondered what life is like for those who fully depend on it.

I will be performing a rhetorical analysis on two scholarly articles, one written from an economist and the other a sociologist. The article written by the economist talks about how minimum wage encourages a big push, otherwise known as the increase of formal employment and decrease in informal employment, which influences the equilibrium wage level in a way that favors employees. The sociologist’s article discusses whether minimum wage helps the poor or not, and the sociologist comes to a conclusion that minimum wage does not help the poor. These two articles are applicable and noteworthy to us because we live in a country with minimum wage, and we must determine for ourselves if the minimum wage is something that can benefit or damage our personal lives and economy we live in. The rhetorical analysis will be useful here because the different rhetorical methods of each author influences the reader in different ways, and the rhetorical analysis will help to understand which rhetorical methods are more convincing. The article with more effective rhetorical methods will ultimately influence the reader for or against minimum wage.

Unit 4 WIP: A Sneak Peak of my Rhetorical Analysis

For my next post, I will be writing a rhetorical analysis comparing the conventions of two disciplines. More specifically, I will be looking at how a philosopher and a geneticist approach the topic of human genetic engineering differently. The articles I will be analysing are Human Dendritic Cells Genetically Engineered to Express High Levels of the Human Epithelial Tumor Antigen Mucin (MUC-1) by Robert A. Henderson et al. and Selecting Children: The Ethics of Reproductive Genetic Engineering by S. Matthew Liao. I will be analysing how the authors different rhetorical strategies create a disconnect between the articles even though they are on the same subject. Some of the aspects I will be looking at include differences in format, types of evidence used, style of language, and complexity of diction.

While this may seem like an incredibly abstract argument, this argument is relevant to you, the reader, for two reasons. Firstly, the topic of human genetic engineering is a hotbed for controversy that will not be going away anytime soon. As academics, we must strive to understand at least the basis of this subject so that we may understand the ethical complications which will arise in the future. Secondly, and more importantly, the rhetorical differences between these two pieces of work are irreconcilable. The differences in what the authors value as evidence seems to imply that the authors would either not understand each others work, or not see the value in it. This is important for two reasons. Firstly, if the philosophers who are helping the public form opinions on the ethics of human genetic engineering do not understand the science behind it, then they cannot form truly informed arguments. Secondly, if the scientists working on these genetic modifications do not understand the ethical implications of what they are doing, genetic engineering may advance to a point that is not morally acceptable.

Genetically Modified Crops WIP 4

Genetically Modified Organisms(GMO’s) or more specifically Genetically Modified Crops (GM crops) are the benefits of a new technology, genetic engineering. These crops are being used in agriculture scenarios are providing a much needed boost to food nutrition, pest resistance, and overall crop yield. Even though almost all people fully embrace new technologies, GMO’s have been met with heavy resistance in the courtroom and marketplace. People do not trust the government and large corporations when it comes to what they eat, and in turn they are slowing down the advancement of this safe, powerful and new technology. The truth that GMO’s are beneficial is very evident in scientific research, we just somehow have to get the public to realize this fact. Food policy and food science bridge that gap between science and the public allowing people to understand the pros and cons of GM crops.

The ability of GMO’s to effectively treat the major world issue of hunger is very astounding. Not only could we produce a greater than normal yield of food with higher nutritional value, but we could eliminate the need to use pesticides, fertilizers, irrigation, and flood prevention. No matter what the situation the crop need to be ready for, we could prepare it. These abilities make agriculture easier and more beneficial especially in developing nations. Solving world hunger and at the same time reducing pollution is something that the human race can not pass up.

An Art Analysis of Mickalene Thomas' "Three Graces: Les Trois Femmes Noires"

Three Graces: Les Trois Femmes Noires
by Mickalene Thomas

Photo of Mickalene Thomas

During a video tour of her studio, Mickalene Thomas tells the audience that her work is about “presenting beauty and the black body as reclaiming spaces, saying that you see me, therefore I exist” (YouTube). Mickalene Thomas was trained in classical art, getting her BFA (Bachelors of Fine Arts) from Pratt Institute followed by her MFA (Masters of Fine Arts) from Yale University. Her education taught her about the Impressionists Édouard Manet and Henri Matisse, along with early classical art works which would come to inspire her future pieces (MickaleneThomas). Thomas does not just draw influence from the great artists she studied, but also from 1970’s black popular culture. All of these influences combine in Mickalene Thomas’ "Three Graces: Les Trois Femmes Noires", depicted to the right. By bringing together her classical and African American influences, Thomas is showing that the notions we ascribe to classical art should also be ascribed to African American artwork. In particular, Thomas’ "Three Graces" shows that African American artwork should be a timeless source of beauty like classical art. Furthermore, Thomas’ use of impressionist style implies that, African American artwork already is a timeless source of beauty already to her.

Dreams
by Jacob Lawrence

Photo of African American Bible Quilt
by Rhonda Leigh Willers

In order to understand the message Thomas’ is trying to deliver through her "Three Graces", we must first understand the history of African American art. When Europeans brought Africans to the Americas as slaves, they severed the ties between their slaves and African art. As slaves, they no longer had a culture to call their own. They were now African Americans. That is not to say that they were not still influenced by their African roots, but rather that they were now a distinct cultural group and were no longer defined by their African heritage. While enslaved, there were few outlets for African American artists. They made folk art like the quilt depicted here and wrote some literature, but none of their creations ever left the African American community. History). African Americans quickly formed their own communities within the cities. The most prominent of these communities was Harlem in New York City, which quickly became the cultural center for African American artists of the time. Here artists gathered to hone their craft and to define a “New Negro” through their work. In other words, African Americans had grown tired of their culture being defined by their white oppressors caricatures and misconceptions. Instead, they sought to define their own culture through painting, poetry, theatre, etc (HistoryandtheHeadlines). Even after emancipation, Jim Crow laws and other oppressive acts kept black art out of popular culture. Finally, from 1915 to 1920, more than one million African Americans migrated from their homes in the South towards Northern urban centers to escape the harsh Southern oppression (History). African Americans quickly formed their own communities within the cities. The most prominent of these communities was Harlem in New York City, which quickly became the cultural center for African American artists of the time. Here artists gathered to hone their craft and to define a “New Negro” through their work. In other words, African Americans had grown tired of their culture being defined by their white oppressors caricatures and misconceptions. Instead, they sought to define their own culture through painting, poetry, theatre, etc. (HistoryandtheHeadlines). 

Pam Grier
from boxingkangaroostudios.com

Looking at Thomas’ "Three Graces", you can immediately see the influence of African American art history. Right away, you can see the influence of 70’s black culture through the three grace’s appearance. Their hair, jewelry, and attire all harken back to how African Americans were portrayed in 70’s blaxploitation films. Like the overly sexualized black women from blaxploitation films, the three graces depicted here explore African American’s notions of beauty (TVTropes). In addition to being influenced by 70’s blaxploitation media, Thomas’ "Three Graces" has also been influenced by Harlem Renaissance artists. Thomas uses bright, vivid colors in the background of her mosaic just as many Harlem Renaissance painters did. The Harlem Renaissance is still regarded by many as the pinnacle of African American culture and inspires modern African American artwork today (Study). By including these references to black art history in her "Three Graces", Thomas is trying to make some connection between black beauty and art history.

Ancient Roman Sculpture
of The Three Charites

Ancient Greek Floor Mosaic
by Gnosis

In order to understand the message Thomas is trying to convey about black beauty and art history, we must understand how "Three Graces: Les Trois Femmes Noires" also draws inspiration from Classical art. The Classical art genre refers to the art created by the ancient Greeks and Romans. While the medium would vary from painting to pottery to mosaic or others, these works often dealt with the same content. They generally focussed on characteristics such as “harmony, clarity, restraint, universality, and idealism” and portrayed characters from ancient Greek mythology (Britannica). The first and most obvious connection to classical art is found in this piece’s title. The title, "Three Graces", refers to the three fertility goddesses worshipped by the Greeks and later the Romans. Thomas depicts these goddesses as three black women in 1970’s attire. The Charites, as the Romans called them, represented more than just fertility. They also came to represent beauty and charm. Thus, they came to be associated with the goddess of love, Aphrodite (Britannica). Still today, the three graces are seen as a symbol of beauty. They have resurfaced in artwork time and time again first with Renaissance artists, and then later with Neoclassical art. They have become a timeless source of beauty which artists keep coming back to (Francis). The second and more subtle way that "Three Graces" connects to classical art is the piece’s mosaic style. Mosaic was an enormously popular medium in ancient Greece and subsequently Rome. In fact, countless mosaics of the three graces were made during the classical era. Thomas’ use of mosaic painting and rhinestones emulates the way classical artists would make mosaics with smoothed pebbles (Britannica).

The Luncheon on the Grass
Édouard Manet

Finally, Thomas’ "Three Graces" last inspiration comes from the Impressionist art movement. Impression was the first movement in modern art. It started in late 19th century Paris with Édouard Manet where her grew up studying art. Originally, Manet focused on mastering the aspects of Realism, the most popular art style at that time. As it’s name suggests, Realism calls for the painter to depict their subjects without any loss or addition of detail. Manet, however, quickly grew away from this style towards what would come to be known as Impressionism (Biography). Impressionist works concern themselves less with the minute details of a work, and instead aim to capture “momentary, sensory effect of a scene - the impression objects made on the eye in a fleeting instant” (TheArtStory). These works are characterized by lessened focus on fine detail, increased focus on light sources, and a bright color palette (Clarke). You can observe each of these characteristics in Thomas’ "Three Graces". The background is filled with vibrant colors. The women are proportioned appropriately, but lack the finer detail to make them look like realistic portraits. The sun appears to be setting making the trees and the women’s figures darken and stick out in stark contrast.


By pulling inspiration from so many sources, Thomas has created a powerful message through her "Three Graces". Without her references to African American artwork, Classical artwork, or Impressionist artwork this message would be incomplete. Manet once said “I paint what I see, and not what it pleases others to see” (TheEconomist). With her "Three Graces", Thomas’ is painting the world as she sees it. She does not see Harlem art, 1970’s black popular art, and classical art as separate, clashing art movements. She sees the same notions of timeless beauty, harmony, and universality that are typical of classical art in African American artworks as well. Beyond this, Thomas is saying that these black women are also timelessly beautiful. She is taking the same reverence we have for classical art, and applying it to the form of African American women.

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Clarke, Michael, and Deborah Clarke. "Impressionism." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2010. Print.

Francis, Jane. "The Three Graces: Composition and Meaning in a Roman Context." Greece & Rome 49.2 (2006): 180-98. Cambridge Journals. Web. 15 Apr. 2015. <http://journals.cambridge.org>.

Intermissions and the Great Depression

"Intermission", by Earl Mueller

People usually depict the Great Depression as a time period filled with heavy financial struggle and unemployment. We often don’t hear the story behind the wealthy upper class. High-class parties frequently echoed through lavish residence halls, while the common working man's fortunes slowly crumbled away. Unemployment rates skyrocketed during the Great Depression, as the lower and middle class citizens suffered economic hardships. However, the upper class barely felt any effects. Tension between social classes at this time reached a new height, which inspired some artists to criticize these issues through  illustrating caricatures and other satirical work. One artist, Earl Mueller, produced an interesting piece titled "Intermission" about two years after the Great Depression ended. The North Carolina Museum of Art features it in its permanent collection. By focusing on a distinct dream-like atmosphere and key caricature characteristics, like facial expressions and character placement, Mueller creates a satirical piece that successfully mocks the upper class during the Great Depression. "Intermission" highlights the upper class’s isolation, vanity, and disregard for their situation.

Children waiting at a soup kitchen during the Great Depression.

The Great Depression affected everyone, but "Intermission" emphasizes how little the upper class felt these  effects. During the 1920’s, the stock market saw widespread success, so many people heavily borrowed money for investing ("Feature 1930s High Society"). Because of this, the infamous stock market crash of 1929 depleted billions of dollars and ruined thousands of investors. Although the upper class felt some shock waves, the working and lower classes took the most damage ("Class in the 1930's"). These events ushered in a long period of financial struggle and inequality, known as the Great Depression. Franklin D. Roosevelt erected The New Deal program in response to this, which received most of its funding from taxes paid by the wealthy ("Class in the 1930's"). The large economic gap already had the wealthy showing contempt towards the lower classes. Having to pay income taxes as well (for a cause they did not feel like was their responsibility) only made the wealthy upper class resent the lower classes even more ("Class in the 1930's"). Additionally, the rich upper class enjoyed showing off their extravagant lifestyles during the Great Depression, which only further weakened relations between classes. For example, one popular man named William Randolph Hearst even increased his spending during this time period by hosting sophisticated parties, Masquerades for children, and commissioned new rooms in his home just to be able to fit all the guests (Feature 1930s High Society). Many others spent their days just like Hearst did,  which made the upper class a big target for critics and artists. Earl Mueller presents us with his interpretation, "Intermission", of the upper class’s overindulgence, role during this time period, and isolation from the rest of society.

At first glance, "Intermission" might seem nostalgic or lonely, or it might address something about social gatherings. With further examination, one can notice distinct features, like the faces on the two ladies in the middle of the room, the general lack of detail, and the shading of the piece. The latter two help emphasize the few, essential details even more. Characteristics like this give "Intermission" a caricature-like feeling. Mueller produced this piece only about two years after the Great Depression ended, so it’s very possible that this piece drew heavy influence from the Great Depression. The characters in "Intermission" all seem to belong to the wealthy class, and seem to be on a break during a social gathering. Though, the individuals lack interaction with each other, as each individual or pair does does their own thing. The older two ladies in the middle of the room are shaded lighter, and stand out to the viewer the most (they also seem to be the most important part of the piece). Interestingly enough, even though this scene takes place during a break at a social gathering, everyone surprisingly seems isolated – mainly the two ladies in the middle, who appeared to be the liveliest at first glance. With this character placement, Mueller mimics how the upper class isolated themselves from everyone, and even disregarded others and their suffering (“The Great Depression”). The young man standing by himself on the right also exemplifies this. He isolates himself from the others, but unlike the them, this young man seems satisfied with doing nothing. Coupled with his smug smile, he further develops the isolation theme, but with an air of pretentiousness as well. Mueller strengthens "Intermission"'s isolated feeling with various characters and careful attention to detail. "Intermission" plays a clever mimicking game with the wealthy upper class.

A modern day example of caricature.

Mueller’s "Intermission", meant primarily for mocking the upper class during the Great Depression, stylistically resembles caricatures . As Spanish caricature artist Vasquez De Sola remarks, “Caricature is the most gentle way of saying God Damn.” (Sarıgül). Caricatures usually exaggerate a drawing's elements for a  comical or satirical effect. "Intermission" definitely does this by exaggerating the peoples' characteristics, like the womens' faces in the middle of the room, the eyebrows of the man smoking, and the standing young man's forehead and hair. I would even say that the scene itself is exaggerated, like how everyone involves themselves with an activity shown in the clearest way possible for the viewer, which showcases how preoccupied the characters (and, consequently, the upper class) can get with their own interests. Mueller uses these exaggerations to poke fun at the upper class. The limited characteristics and interactions that the characters have refer back to the isolation theme, where the wealthy isolated themselves from everyone else during the Great Depression. By exaggerating features in "Intermission", Mueller reinforces his main, satirical approach.

Upon inspection, the viewer quickly notices the pair of caricature-like older women in the middle of the piece. From their important position in the picture, they seem to be the piece's main focus point. Their extremely light shading emphasizes their simplistic tone more. For these two women, Mueller exaggerates their facial expressions. They seem very lively, and to an extent, silly. They also possess a sense of gaudiness when coupled with their expensive clothing. Staying true to the spirit of caricatures, Mueller utilizes the womens' exaggerated facial expressions to make a remark about the upper class's unnecessary extravagance. Also, something interesting to note is how this vanity theme relates with the isolation theme. The two ladies stand in the most noticeable area of the room, but no one seems to acknowledge them. They don’t seem to mind this either, which is unusual because in that case, it seems like their extravagance would be for nothing more than fitting in. Mueller pokes fun at the upper class’s vanity here, and makes a statement about how their wealth essentially means nothing. They spend their money on themselves by hosting things like exclusive parties instead of contributing to the community to help deal with the effects of the Great Depression. They seem to only flaunt their wealth for the sake of doing so.

By using careful character placement and shading, Mueller successfully unites seemingly different themes, like vanity and isolation, with common characteristics. This piece’s shading varies from light to dark, but effectively separates this scene from real life. It introduces a symbolic and abstract tone for the viewer. Mueller uses this abstract atmosphere to emphasize "Intermission"'s satirical tone by referring the viewer to the piece’s sarcasm (or caricature-like style). Resulting from these uniting themes and atmosphere, the upper class's disregard theme emerges. Basically, the ladies standing in the middle of the room can relate with the vanity and isolation themes, but they also contribute like puzzle pieces to the disregard theme. Everyone in the room participate in some activity, and appear isolated from each other. Judging by this piece’s title, and the upper class atmosphere that the vanity theme brings, the viewer may assume that this scene takes place during a break (or, during an intermission) at a social gathering. Everyone seems preoccupied with something and performs very little interaction with each other, even though the scene takes place at a high-class social event. This creates a sense of disregard for others. Mueller guides the viewer to finding and recognizing this sense of disregard by mixing the isolation and vanity themes. During the Great Depression, the top one percent of wealthiest Americans owned almost one-third of all assets (“Ushistory.org (The Great Depression)"). This “one percent” upper class also conserved money that would have been pumped back into the economy if it spread into the lower classes (“Ushistory.org (“The Great Depression”)). The upper class possessed a disregard for the lower class's well-being during the Great Depression, and Mueller criticizes this attitude with "Intermission" through his themes and satirical tone.

A scene from a line, taken during the Great Depression period

As a period of great financial struggle, people often remember the Great Depression for its crippling impacts on the working class and its unfortunate impact on the country’s unemployment. Mueller chooses a different viewpoint. He examines the upper class’s position during the Great Depression, and criticizes them for their self-isolation and pretentious attitude. Through a careful use of themes, Mueller successfully delivers his criticism with "Intermission" by using a key, caricature-like style.






Works Cited

"Feature 1930s High Society." PBS. PBS. Web. 14 Apr. 2015. <http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/feature/1930s-high-society/>.

"Class in the 1930's." Class in the 1930's. Urban and Urbane. Web. 15 Apr. 2015. <http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ug02/newyorker/class.html>.

Sarıgül, Baran. "The Significance of Caricature in Visual Communication." IZMIR UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS, 1 Jan. 2009. Web. 15 Apr. 2015. <http://www.as8.it/edu/writing/gd494_sarigul.pdf>.

"The Great Depression." The Great Depression. Web. 15 Apr. 2015. <http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/snprelief1.htm>

"The Great Depression." Ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association. Web. 14 Apr. 2015. <http://www.ushistory.org/us/48.asp>.

"Lines that Link Humanity"

World renowned Kenyan sculptor El Anatsui said “Art is a reflection on life. Life isn’t something we can cut and fix. It’s always in a state of flux.”. Each of El Anatsui’s pieces of artwork move and change with each display, altering the emotions they invoke in an audience. "Lines that Link Humanity" is a large sculpture composed from recycled bottle caps and scrap metal linked together using copper wire. As individuals the pieces of metal are nothing more than junk, yet when together they become a powerful expression of humanity and the possibility in the everyday things that we throw in the garbage. El Anatsui uses his artwork to conveying hope to things that have none and show similarities in opposites of artistic, social and environmental issues."Lines that Link Humanity" uses commonplace materials to the defeat long held belief that abstract art is only for the elite while using different colors and their separation to represent social divides among races. Additionally, El Anatsui relates all of humanity to the environment by using different skin tone colored recycled bottle caps for the construction.

The admirers of abstract art have long been an elite group which believed that they had enhanced senses and capacity to appreciate the unconventional aspects. El Anatsui challenges this long lived fact with the creation of spectacular abstract pieces from the heart of Africa. The abstract art community has changed with the help of El Anatsui’s eye opening depictions of boundary crushing art pieces. In the article “The Audience for Abstract Art: Class, Culture, and Power” by David Halle, he quotes Ortega y Gasset who said “because abstract art had eliminated the human element that attracted the masses, it could be appreciated only by a minority who possess special gifts of artistic sensibility”. In Halle’s analysis of the issue, he stated that those who think abstract art is for the upper social classes believe that the educational system, particularly higher education, gives students the capacity to appreciate higher arts. Halle went on to say that no real studies have been done to determine what happens in someone's mind when they look at a piece of abstract art, therefore there is no true way of determining what social class is more capable of deciphering it. Halle concludes that the capacity to decipher abstract art is not a matter of intelligence yet of interest and exposure. This viewpoint is similar to that of El Anatsui, who creates abstract pieces of art out of trash from the street. El Anatsui is exposing the beauty of abstract art to his people through the use of something they have all experienced and understand. Through creating such a respectable piece abstract art out of commonplace materials, El Anatsui effectively defeats the stereotypical abstract art audience while still gaining the respect of the elite art critics. "Lines that Link Humanity" defeats stereotypes held by society and blends opposite sides of spectrums in artistic, social and environmental manners.

El Anatsui’s use of skin tone colors and their separation in "Lines that Link Humanity" changes the entire impression that he is trying to convey and also the emotions a viewer constructs on their own. The importance of color is especially true in abstract art, which is the representation of emotions and ideas through a medium without depicting any people, places or things even in distorted ways. Since no images can be used, the color, lines and shapes make abstract artwork unique in how the genre conveys emotions. In the article “What is Abstract Art?” the author says that each color carries a unique tone and emotion to conveys to a viewer. In "Lines that Link Humanity" the use of color to portray a deeper meaning is very evident. The colors yellow, white, and brown are most prevalent which relates to the skin tones of the world, all together on the same canvas yet separated. I imagine the entire canvas representing the world and each group of color representing a nation or race. These different races are segregated and separated from the others, even though they are all created from the same material and share the same canvas. "Lines that Link Humanity" has the physical properties of a piece of fabric in the manner that it can fold and wrinkle even though it is made of metal. This enables the piece to seem to flow like a liquid, creating shadows, valleys, and mountains. These features give the art texture and depth that lets us further connect it to the physical characteristics of the world. Differences in elevation are present throughout the entire piece just like on earth. The shadowing gives the colors different shades and purposes. These different shades of colors and differences in elevation show that not all humans are the same, we are all each beautifully unique.

Each bottle cap that went into the construction of "Lines that Link Humanity" was touched by many different hands, and lived a life of its own until it was recycled. El Anatsui’s choice of bottle caps and small pieces of metal as a medium for such a large sculpture as “Lines that Link Humanity” is interesting, respectful, and impressive. Measuring 18 x 25 feet and weighing in at 120 pounds, the sculpture has an overwhelming presence. Standing beside such a large sculpture which is essentially a wall of bottle caps, one begins to appreciate the time and effort put into the construction. When looking at the sculpture, not only are you looking at tens of thousands of bottle caps, but tens of thousands of lives lived by those bottle caps. From production, to purchase, to use and finally disregard, each bottle cap now has a much more important role in its life. Each bottle cap is important in the design as it is linked to at least 4 others all around it. Similar to a Roman Phalanx or chainmail armor, "Lines that Link Humanity" shows unity between individual pieces to achieve a much larger and impressive goal than could ever be achieved in isolation. If you were to imagine the whole sculpture to be all humans, no matter the color of the piece it is still important to the structural integrity. "Lines that Link Humanity" shows the importance of individual pieces in a structure just like individual people are important in humanity. Each metal piece of the sculpture represents a human in the fabric of the world society. If all humans bind together and make one large structure without rifts, we can achieve great feats just like the once garbage in El Anatsui's "Lines that Link Humanity".

Garbage is being born again in a new form of art known as the recycle or reuse art movement, in which El Anatsui is playing a major role. In todays world trash is a part of life that we choose to disregard intentionally as if it had zero value. The recycle art movement is working to show the exact opposite, the fact that even trash can be made into powerful, influential and impressive pieces of art. Annette Labedzki says recycle art is “an art form that uses old or used items or day to day trash to create something which is brand-new, attractive, and useful in most cases.” A major part of the recycle movement is the idea of being resourceful and using what is at hand. El Anatsui is a master at using the materials around him to create art, which also allows him to connect to a larger crowd. Labedzki also says there are many advantages to using recycled materials as medium for art which include saving money, saving landfill space and preserving the environment. The recycle art movement stemmed from the environmental art movement which seeks to improve human relationships with the environment. El Anatsui has always used common everyday materials such as clay, wood, cloth and in the case of "Lines that Link Humanity" metal and bottle caps. This use of trash makes people realize the potential in the common items they touch each day. Using recycled materials causes people to respect trash and in turn be more responsible with their recycling habits. Ultimately El Anatsui’s use of recycled materials causes a positive impact on the earths environment.

El Anatsui’s unique style of blending abstract qualities with the recycle methods in a grand scale is very evident in "Lines that Link Humanity". The sculpture defeats the stereotypical abstract art audience as it is appealing, relatable and impressive to even the poorest and least educated people. Humanity and its divides, valleys and shadows are portrayed in "Lines that Link Humanity" through the color change, light change and 3D display the art features. All of Humanity is represented in the skin tone colors and their different shades on a piece made of recycled trash. Even though the piece represents the divides between people, it also represents the unity and camaraderie of all humans in achieving a larger more important goals. The use of bottle caps is the common denominator uniting all races and the earth into one category represented by the sculpture. "Lines that Link Humanity" provides a visual representation of the importance of racial and social cooperation with the earths health being motivation. El Anatsui’s uses his ability to create powerful pieces of art in order to show the connections between everyday people and art critics, as well as different races and the planet earth.


Sources -

Lamont, Miche. "Audience for Abstract Art: Class, Culture and Power." Cultivating Differences: Symbolic Boundaries and the Making of Inequality. Vol. 6. Chicago: U of Chicago, 1992.Print. <https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=raPbbFuYOG4C&oi=fnd&pg=PA131&dq=meanings+of+abstract+art&ots=CY6F3JkTWH&sig=9VuEuUoabeydTHMEQfeCPCoxVlw#v=onepage&q=meanings%20of%20abstract%20art&f=false >

Gersh-Nesic, Beth. "What Is Abstract Art? - Definition and Examples." About Education. Web. 6 Apr. 2015. <http://arthistory.about.com/od/glossary_a/a/a_abstract_art.htm>.

Labedzki, Annette. "Recycled Art - The Creativity & the Junk!" Enzine Articles. 29 Aug. 2008. Web. 6 Apr. 2015. <http://ezinearticles.com/?Recycled-Art---The-Creativity-and-the-Junk!&id=1453442>

Pritchard, Ashley. "Quotes from the El Anatsui Logan Lecture." Denver Art Museum. 12 Sept. 2012. Web. 7 Apr. 2015. <http://denverartmuseum.org/article/staff-blogs/quotes-el-anatsui-logan-lecture>.

Hurt, Perry. "El Anatsui Wall Sculpture: Adventures in Handling, Installation, and Display." PACCIN. 9 Mar. 2011. Web. 7 Apr. 2015. <http://www.paccin.org/content.php?188-El-Anatsui-Wall-Sculpture-Adventures-in-Handling-Installation-and-Display-Part-1>.