The Problem We All Live With by Norman Rockwell
This is an iconic image that contains five characters. A girl heading to school is being escorted by for men two ahead and two behind her. This painting has been designed in a manner that crops out the heads of the four men at their shoulders. On the wall behind her, one can see a smashed and splattered tomato which has been thrown against the wall (Richard & Lomotey 434). The word “nigger” which is a racial slur has been written on the smashed wall. From the overview of the painting, it one can deduce some messages that are being portrayed in the image. The young girl is of about six years and also an African American who is facing a threat and violence. She is carrying stationery materials implying that she is heading to school (Richard & Lomotey 434).
Rockwell has composed the artwork using various elements that on could spot out. First, the young girl is the focus of the painting by the use of values. The painting has been composed and designed using the golden triangle technique which positions the young girl at the left of the golden section. The design also utilized very strong verticals and horizontals which shows simplicity. The element of values is seen in the young girl because she has the brightest and darkest values. Rockwell has also used shading to define mass of the painting which is done to come up with the nice texture (Richard & Lomotey 436). The vignette of the painting is simple but strong and sufficiently supports the message that is being portrayed. In the element of perception, Rockwell has painted the lines seen along the sidewalk which are seen moving to a common vanishing point. This has created the relationship between the figures illusion and space to be well defined.
Focusing on how Rockwell has cherished in his painting, individual elements can be as well be described. First, a good and effective illustration requires a clear silhouette. It is evident that the young girl was painted with the highest contrast. The white dress has served this purpose of a clear silhouette making all viewers to draw their eyes to her. The white dress was a good selection considering her dark skin. Rockwell has also used saturation to point out the areas of focus. For instance, the yellow armbands, the smashed area of the wall, the fallen tomato as well as the stationery have been saturated. The coloring of the painting therefore communicates the general idea that an African-American girl is going to school (Richard & Lomotey 435).
The other aspect of any good painting is composition. Rockwell has used very simple values, colors and composition to portray a message that is not sophisticated. The overall message shows an event of attack which is oriented by racism. Rockwell has focused on the real points through simple but strong compositions. This implies that the fact that the painting is simple and the message is also simple and clear doesn’t mean that the issue of racism is not worth consideration. The smashed wall communicates that someone had just thrown the potato at the instantly. From the opposite direction of the camera that took the photo, there must have been protestors who were trying to hurt the young girl. The escort of four men is seen to provide security to the girl (Richard & Lomotey 434).
Rockwell has also incorporated the aspect of symbolism in his painting. The ideas are however quite open starting from the title of the painting. The title suggests a problem that is facing the American-Africans at schools. He has also used the word “nigger” to show that the painting is all about race as well as relations (Johnston, 344). The three K’s that have also been penned down portray a symbolic message concerning racism and relations. The young girl has her face sad hence implying that the experience was not any jovial. The cropping out of the marshals head represents an institution. Visually, they have offered her protection by boxing her in a frame. Their skin has been exposed at the fingers and one can spot out that all are white men. This painting therefore shows that the young girl is being protected by white men who are conceptually not heroes. In depth, the painting communicates a message that the American should stop racial discrimination in public schools.
In conclusion, this painting has incredibly designed to illustrate a real event. The values and the entire composition have kept the young girl to be the point of focus. Color has played a major role in communicating the issue of racism because the girl is black while the men are white. The words KKK and nigger also communicate much about the issue of race and relations with the help of other elements. Finally, the simplicity of the painting has reflected the title of the painting that this is what we go through (Johnston, 344).
Work cited:
Top of Form
Johnston, Patricia A. Seeing High & Low: Representing Social Conflict in American Visual Culture. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2006. Print.
Bottom of Form
Richard Milner IV H, Lomotey K., Handbook of Urban Education Routledge, 2013 1136206019, 9781136206016
