Revival of History Via Artistic Expression
Vital moments in history often tend to wither away and become forgotten overtime. Societies tend to forgot about how the past has affected their present time because they are so evidently focused on the future. To prevent this situation from happening, many believe that history can subsist through artwork. In Melena Ryzick’s article, Shadows Return to Ellis Island, she mentions how French artist, JR, strives to bring life back to Ellis Island through his awe-inspiring project, Unframed – Ellis Island. By utilizing his wheatpasting artistic ability, he was able to transform an almost dying Ellis Island hospital into an artistic masterpiece. Through his multiple pastings on the decrepit walls of the hospital, he was successfully able to elucidate the hidden stories and life of Ellis Island during the times of mass immigration.
This is a picture of one of the pastings in JR’s project. In her article, Ryzick says, “Their heads were wrapped in white cloth; they suffered from favus, a scalp disease. Deemed unfit for entry into the United States, they were sent to the island’s enormous hospital, where they were studied, treated and photographed. Most likely, they were eventually released, healthy, to their new homeland.” I really like the part when she mentions that the kids were “eventually released, healthy, to their new homeland,” because it represents the common theme that New York City is a place of safe haven and reassurance. Millions of immigrants from around the world ventured off to New York City to make better lives for themselves, so this pasting really brings out the truth that New York City (Ellis Island) really healed people, both literally and metaphorically.
This is considered to be one of the most remarkable set pieces in JR’s project, Unframed – Ellis Island, because it represents the hackneyed notion of all immigrants in the late nineteenth century/early twentieth century. This pasting shows a family staring ardently at the Statue of Liberty, diligently thinking about the freedom that New York City provides. I think the pasting is very important because it really conveys what JR is trying to tell his viewers: History has remained unchanged and that many aspects of history have still lived on to this present day. For example, many people today view the Concrete Jungle as a place of freedom, diversity, and most imperatively, opportunity. However, this ideology of New York City has lived on for over one hundred years, ever since millions of impoverished immigrants around the globe ventured here in hopes of economic, social, and political autonomy. It just goes to show that history lives on, and that most people must realize how prominent a factor history plays in our lives.
One paragraph really grabbed my attention while reading this article. Ryzick says, “The Ellis Island hospital opened in 1902, in a grand building on the southern half of the island, across from the Registry Room, where newcomers were processed. Doctors took but a few seconds to determine if foreigners were healthy enough to enter. Some were sent back, but others were directed to the hospital, which eventually had 750 beds across several buildings and was considered a paragon of public health management. It also had a contagious disease wing and isolation rooms, a “psychopathic” ward, a laboratory and a morgue.” This paragraph made me realize that history tends to be glorified way too much to entice the present day listeners, but sometimes, the truth must be heard to really gain a better stance on something. After reading this paragraph, my view of New York City being an almighty location greatness diminished slightly. The fact that doctors, who were probably not very qualified, manipulated newcomers didn’t spark a positive feeling. I didn’t like how doctors determined the fate of immigrants’ lives by examining them for no more than 10 seconds. It has been shown that many healthy, normal immigrants were locked into Ellis Island’s hospital because they were examined incorrectly. That is why I really admire these pastings. The pastings not only represent a glorified New York, but they also represent some of the fallacies of Ellis Island and New York City and how many people faced hardships just by coming to New York City.
After reading this article, I was reassured that history plays a vital role in our lives. Through artwork, the casual observer can be connected to historical events and learn how people lived in the past. These pastings are ingenious, not only because they’re artistic masterpieces that strike the eye, but primarily because they tell us the truth about an important historical event.
