Day 138 - When Tragedy Strikes Create Art - Christina Chang, BHS Art Department

This post was originally posted on Mrs. Chang's Blog on 4/23/13

What a week.... Hard to digest everything that happened. Many times I thought of you- my students, since we were on vacation I wanted many times to talk to you about how you were doing and digesting all of the feelings and emotions that go along side a tragedy. I wanted to talk to you about how this is a great time to create art. Art is a healthy way to deal with all of the emotions you may be feeling.

Many artists use art as a means to deal with tragedy. Here are just a few works of art created after tragic events.

Probably Picasso's most famous work, Guernica is certainly the his most powerful political statement, painted as an immediate reaction to the Nazi's devastating casual bombing practice on the Basque town of Guernica during Spanish Civil War.

Guernica shows the tragedies of war and the suffering it inflicts upon individuals, particularly innocent civilians. This work has gained a monumental status, becoming a perpetual reminder of the tragedies of war, an anti-war symbol, and an embodiment of peace. On completion Guernica was displayed around the world in a brief tour, becoming famous and widely acclaimed. This tour helped bring the Spanish Civil War to the world's attention.
http://www.pablopicasso.org/guernica.jsp

The tragic events that occurred on December 14 at Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Conn., ended 26 lives and left the entire nation confused, angry and anxious. Artist Jeremy Collins reacted by channeling his complex emotions and desire to help into a two-color sketch conveying the massive community of friends, community members and absolute strangers willing to send their prayers and support to the victims.

After receiving an overwhelming response to the piece on Facebook, Collins put the prints up for sale, using proceeds to help pay for families' funeral costs. Collins spreads his message, "the world mourns with you all," through this powerful portrait.

National September 11 Memorial & Museum
Honoring the lives of those who were lost is at the heart of our mission.  Occupying eight of the 16 acres at the World Trade Center, the Memorial is a tribute to the past and a place of hope for the future.

Lady Liberty
Lady Liberty, a Statue of Liberty replica, stood honor guard outside the firehouse of Engine 54/Ladder 4/Battalion 9. The firehouse lost 15 of their men at the World Trade Center on 9/11. How Lady Liberty appeared outside the firehouse is unknown, but its presence encouraged the public to leave messages and tributes. Explore the Lady Liberty statue and learn more about the ornaments that adorn it and the stories of tribute behind them.