Oliver Cromwell
In TOK class, we were looking at the study of History. In particular, we talked about the Statue of Liberty and the history behind the Statue has changed due to Trump being president. History is defined as “the branch of knowledge that deals with past events; the formal records or study of past events, especially human affairs,” (Cambridge English Dictionary). I find the erection of statues very fascinating because how does one have the ability to change the history of the statue or remove it after many years of the statue being there. For this blog post, I will be discussing the erection of Oliver Cromwell Statue. Statues symbolize many things within our society. Besides power, statues, and significance, status solidifies the values between individuals by strengthening both collective and national identities.
The Oliver Cromwell statues is located outside the House of Commons of the United Kingdom in Westminster, London. The Cromwell statue was designed by Hamo Thornycroft in 1899. Hamo Thornycroft was an English Sculptor famous for some of the most important statues in London. Thornycroft was one of the leading exponents of the New Sculpture, a movement in British sculpture reacting against the neo-classicism of mid-Victorian sculpture. Before the Cromwell Statue was erected the Cromwell statue was believed to be a source of controversy, “the Irish Nationalists voted against its installation because of the ghastly activities of Cromwell’s troops on innocent folk during the invasion of Ireland in AD 1649.” The removal of the statue had a huge discussion since “the iconoclasm of the English civil wars was neither ordered or carried out by Cromwell,” said Mr. Goldsmith. Many of the royalists thought that Oliver Cromwell was a traitor for overthrowing the monarchy. The Irish believed that Cromwell was a murder.
Oliver Cromwell was a fanatical puritan who enforced the abolition of Christmas. Cromwell is considered to be one of the most significant figures in British History, therefore he deserves to be remembered even if it is negative or positive. Many historians say that Cromwell should be commemorated outside the parliament, however the values which both symbolize differently. The parliament is referred to Britons as the beacon of both democracy and equality, however, Cromwell was seen as a controversial figure in Ireland due to his legacy. Oliver Cromwell is considered to be one of the most controversial figures in the history of the British Isles. However, Cromwell was a notable historic figure who deserved the statue outside Westminster. The removal of this statue was outrageous because there are other statues that should have been erected, such as Lord Protector because he upset many however not the Irish. The Cromwell statue shouldn’t have been erected because now a part of history is lost because the future generations won’t understand what’s happening with the statue.
The changing historiography of Cromwell also contributes to his statue’s merit. The fact that controversy surrounding the statue is not a recent issue. The statue was shown in 1899 and received a lot from the house of lords. The whole point of having a statue is not to strengthen a status, however, it is up to the public. I think Cromwell's statue shouldn’t have been erected because he was uniting public opinion.
The Statue of Oliver Cromwell is holding a bible in his left arm. In his right hand, Cromwell is holding a sword. The Cromwell statue was dressed in his military office, without his hat.
Banksy - Unwelcome Invertion.
Banksy is a street artist whose identity remains unknown. He was born in Bristol, England, around 1974. Striking images, combined with slogans characterize Banksy's artwork. His work often engages political themes, capitalism, hypocrisy, and greed. The reason why I have decided to look at Banksy's work because that all the pieces that he has created have a deeper meaning to it, for example, Rage, Flower Thrower Jerusalem; this is a symbol of peace and hope in the face of adversity and destruction.
This is one of Banksy’s graffiti art, painted in 2005 on the Palestinian side of the barrier wall, which is built along the Gaza strip. It is named unwelcome intervention; this particular artwork by Banksy depicts two young boys playing with buckets and shovels, like children making sandcastles on the beach. The boys, one is standing, the other boy is kneeling. Above the boys, the artist has created the illusion of a broken section of the grey wall on the which the mural was created.
When the painting was created, the barrier separating the Palestinians and the Israelis was in the progress of being half-done. Banksy was trying to voice his opinion on the situation between the Palestinians and the Israelis. Through the painting, the audience can tell that Bansky was attempting to convey the message of peace between the Palestinians and Israelis. By removing the wall, both religions can live at peace and security like the image of the sandy beach.
The “guerilla” street art, the location of the piece plays a central role in its meaning. Banksy stenciled this work onto the Israeli-Palestinian West Bank barrier wall on August 2005 along with other eight different murals. While the Israelis consider the wall to be protected against terrorism, the Palestinians claim that its purpose is racial segregation. Racial segregation is the separation of people into racial or other ethnic groups in daily life.
The stencil work and pre-made poster created this artwork. This decreased the time taken to finish the artwork. The use of different material that depicts the tropical beach contrasts with the color and vibe of the barrier wall. The colors used on the tropical beach are bright and vibrant, while the wall is grey and dull. The two boys on the bottom of the artwork are stenciled and spray-painted; the colors of the boys are quiet and somber colors, adding to the cold vibe of the wall. The bucket in the middle of the two boys is painted bright yellow; this may symbolize the hope of the boys to cross the barrier.
The attempt by the artist to create a depressed idea was successful. The contrast between the tropical beach and the reality of the barrier’s location gives the viewer a sinister vibe. As the viewer’s side of the wall, it is very dull, and there is an atmosphere of isolation and loss, while on the other side of the wall feeling is carefree and light. There is a vast contrast between the two sides of the wall, which makes a significant impact on the viewer.
The arts use emotion as a currency to generate significance at a personal level, but reason provides a restrictive framework necessary for the creation of meaning: artworks have their inner logic.
Scope and application:
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the arts perform some social function
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the arts as a means of shaping belief
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role of society in determining what art is
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importance of the local cultural dimension in defining value in the arts
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art forms are based on sense perception
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the arts might be an instrument of social transformation
Concepts/Languages:
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Role of language and convention in the art
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the language of an art form is often non-verbal- frees the arts from being
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limited to propositional knowledge
Methodology:
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artistic creation is often a result of personal knowledge requiring imagination and creativity
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creativity requires imagination taking place within a framework, often using reason
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art usually involves interaction with an audience
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the relationship between art and technology- new technology spawn new art forms, for example, film, computer art, computer music
Historical development:
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conventions and values in the arts change over time
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importance of historical development of a form in making sense of its present form
Links to personal knowledge:
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the relationship between the artwork and the artist is often emotional
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art can contribute to a view of self
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art can shape an individual’s view of the world.
KQ: Can art help us to understand individual and societies?