Michael Cline - folks
First of all, I would like to say sorry for posting this up so late. With that out of the way, I would like to comment on Michael Cline’s Folks. Usually, when I look at a painting or a piece of art, I try to look at the symbolism behind it. (whether it is abstract or concrete) Enter Michael Cline’s Folks. What drew me to this particular piece of art were the visual elements implemented by the artist. This exhibit instilled a sense of hopelessness and social degradation. All the paintings are set in a post-apocalyptic city. This is suggested by the artists’s use of dark colored paints coupled with shadow to create morbidly bleak imagery.
According to the handout, Cline also includes a veritable number of 50s references as well, which is astounding on the artist’s part. It supplements the political and social undertones of the paintings. The social commentary is conspicuous yet vivid. For example, in one painting, a police officer was harassing a young delinquent with a sleeveless jacket that read “subhuman” on the back. In addition, there is a wall dividing the city in half. It is clear that Cline viewed society as hierarchy where the lower echelons are treated miserably. In another painting, a woman is depicted savagely beating a drunk man. The message behind here is that even civilized societies are prone to moments of irrational behavior. Another point that sticks out in the appearance of NBC as an “evil hand”. This becomes clear in one painting where an old man with NBC printed on his hat is shown molesting a woman. If one could hasard a guess, it would be that the artist has a great disdain toward NBC as a news station. This apathy of NBC is explained in the various signs that appear on the bodies of the street urchins. Cline relates NBC, the government and 9/11 together on those leaflets. I can only assume his message here is to not trust everything you hear or see since they can be false reports and defend the government. Another recurring theme here are the vagrants and streetwalkers. To me, they represent the decline of civilization, the decadence of society and dignity. According to the handout based on this exhibit, “the foundation of the buildings are pockmarked with holes revealing the brick structures beneath them…”. This simply adds to the imagery of decadence since the foundations of society are crumbling. Overall, the message of this exhibit is that society is declining and will inevitably come to an end, especially if the men in this painting are driven to make wretches of themselves and if the women depicted in the paintings are shameless enough to walk the streets naked. Another astounding point behind the exhibit is that it seems to stretch across time since the artist felt compelled to include 50s references.