You can read calmly. I will not list the threats of the modern world, nor write about piles of garbage. I will not even mention a word about wars, epidemics and crisis. I want to write that above all other threats, the bigest is human indifference. Seemingly strong people, more or less influential, do not want to notice the problems that are destroying our world. This observation of mine made me think and a thought came to my mind…
Three monkeys as a contemporary symbol of anesthesia
What is the symbol of the three wise monkeys knows almost everyone, but in modern culture the meaning of this symbol has acquired a completely different resonance. They can now be interpreted as tacit consent to evil. We don’t want to hear that something bad is happening, we don’t want to see it, and we’d rather keep quiet than take an uncomfortable position that goes beyond our comfort zone.
What does Frida Kahlo have to do with three monkeys and indifference?
Practically nothing. But she was a strong woman who loved the world and life. She was far from anesthetized. It looks different nowadays. Now the strong people who manifest their love for the world with words, prefer to stay in their comfort zone and indifference. They, like these three monkeys, cover their ears, eyes and mouth so as not to lean out, but only to take care of their interests.
The painting "The Destruction of Paradise"
Through the painting “The Destruction of Paradise” I wanted to say that I am against social indifference to the problems of the modern world. Our planet is a beautiful paradise that is slowly dying due to the harmful activities of some and the indifference of others.
Symbolism and Message
Looking at the image from the left, we see sunbeams and balloons floating in the clear air, but as we move our eyes to the right, we can see a slow destruction, until a stormy sky and grey … nothingness. As a symbol of a strong individual, we see Frida, who, in this case covers her ears, eyes and mouth, which in fact leads to destruction. The disintegration of a seemingly steadfast world is symbolized by a broken concrete slab below, and we can see some of the reasons in the form of small graphics at the bottom of the picture. And so we have the model of the omicron virus, which stands for pandemics during which ignorance and indifference took on special proportions, staph chains and cockroach, a dead bee, a symbol of environmental pollution, and bullets that can be associated with both wars and terrorism. These seemingly detached drawings represent everything that is simply ignored by man and leads the world to destruction.
Technique and materials
The painting “The Destruction of Paradise” is painted on thick 350 gsm paper with dimensions of 70×50 cm. I chose a mixed technique, which is a combination of graphite, charcoal and watercolor. Watercolor, because it allows me to bring out a wide range of colors, and graphite and charcoal give me the opportunity to work on details and grey balance.
Help for our planet
The work I am writing about is my protest against indifference and ignorance to the threats of the modern world. Unfortunately, callousness has now become so common that it is no longer noticed or even perceived as a negative phenomenon. I hope that this painting will make the viewer reflect on what awaits us, if we do not begin to respect what surrounds us, even in our own environment.
Summary
An old legend says that a sage told his students to break one stick, which they did easily. The next task was to break a whole bunch of branches. The students tried their best, but none of them were able to complete the task.One person won’t do much, and after several attempts to save the world, he will simply give up and become indifferent. But if all together starts to take care of their immediate environment, or at least stop mindlessly destroying it, then maybe there is a chance that our world will not perish…My message is simple: let’s not be indifferent! Let’s save our paradise!
