TED Talk

After watching the TED Talk I understood what Genevieve was really studying, and why the art she was studying was so important and significant. It's the evolution of creativity, imagination and of abstract thought. The first painting were cave paintings, thousands of years ago. Through the TED talk we learn that the cave paintings were a form of communication. Using geometric shapes like circles and squares to convey a message. They used stylized representations of the world around them. This is still true, thousands and thousands of years later and it's what Jean-Michael Basquiat did as well. He used text and image to convey a message, a story, and he communicated to the world. He used expressive art with his emotion and use of universal themes like the struggles that were happening in that era and in his life. For example in one of Basquiat's paintings called Charles The First, We can see his use of abstract shapes but most importantly the message he is trying to portray. I think the beauty of art is being able to look at a painting or work of art and try to interpret and figure out what the artist was feeling or thinking. In this painting of Basquiat's we see a variety of different symbols and images. The painting seems to be divided into three parts, all displaying different stories yet the same message/idea. I believe, and what I interpreted was Basquiat's frustration and opposing view points with the higher power being the government, society, etc. Especially because during that era, of the 1980's there were issues with racism and violence.