What do you see going on in this work of art? Is there a story depicted?

Our group came up with the idea that this piece of art work consisted of multiple ideas like the life cycle, reproduction, mother nature, African American heritage, gender roles, and preservation. The story we believe is being depicted is how human and nature are intertwined. Also how mother nature is the source of life and death. We also realized the woman and men doing certain jobs and how both are needed to uphold society.

What different visual elements (ie: line, color, light, proportions, scale, composition, media type etc.) do you notice, and how do they help you make sense of the artwork?

Most of the artwork is centered around cool tones, and nature-like colors. The left side is more dull, depicting winter while the right side is more vibrant, showing the spring or summer. The woman in the middle also seems to be the center of attention and is pretty big in scale. These visual elements help us make sense of the seasons changing with life and the life-span of humanity.

What choices do you think the museum made about the object’s display?

We think that the museum purposely put the art piece at eye level to make it easier for the observers to see the art. The panoramic perspective is multilayered and interpreted in each section (left, middle, and center) It reveals a new part of a story with each direction the viewer glances in.

Group Members