“She never looked nice. She looked like art, and art wasn’t supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something.” – Unknown
Art should evoke emotion within you. While I believe it should look nice for the most part, I think we, as humans, are very good at confusing looking nice for having meaning. However, there is a place for beauty to be admired. But, I do that enough. At this point in my life, I’m looking for art that makes me think.
As a student of the Industrial and Labor Relations School, I don’t get the opportunity to be in the presence of art. In fact, there are days where I believe that art is easy and simple. And devalued the passionate and expertise that art requires.
Last week, I attended an event that explored art in contemporary Cuba. Of all the artist that were discussed, Ernesto Pujol left the greatest impact. For him, art was how he lived his life. Art provided meaning and at times, clarity. As a homosexual male, Pujol didn’t fit anywhere. As someone who knows what it means to be disregarded because of societal structures, I have been pushed to question who I am. Pujol’s exploration of his identity is evident in his work.
This piece displays Pujol’s fascination with whiteness and masculinity. Whiteness and the varying connotations of purity, innocence are examined in his work. Through baseball, a masculine sport, he found a way to express the limitations he felt as a child. Having the baseballs also placed in a cooking bowl juxtaposed to the mitt illustrates his own views on gender stereotypes during his upbringing. Knowing his deep interest in the color white, the dusty baseballs indicate to me that he felt that the game of baseball (or the overall gender construct) played a role in his loss of innocence.
Art is open to interpretation. And thats what I enjoyed most about this experience. I was getting the opportunity to engage with art on my own terms. Like Pujol, many things have been decided for me. But, I hope that art and the various other forms of art that I interact with will give me the space to be fully me.