Answering Week 15 Questions

 This work by Pablo Picasso, Guernica, from the 1930's combines many elements and principles to form a successful piece of art. Picasso uses line and shape to show different things such as horses, people and different doors and windows to paint the scene. He also uses color, or lack there of, this piece is monochromatic. Picasso made this piece only using blue, black and white and what appears to be mimicking newspaper or letters. He also utilizes the dark black areas against bright whites to create contrast, making the scene more dramatic. All of these create a well balance over the piece, not making one side heavier than the other. The Guernica is a large oil painting  created in the 30's around the time of the Spanish- Civil War and the aerial bombing of Guernica. This piece is seen as highly political due to the different symbols such as the meaning behind the bull and horse in Spanish culture. The fact that Picasso claims that the horses represent the people of Guernica and the creative hints toward the attack of Fascism. This could persuade and emotional response due to those the controversial topics throughout the culture at the time in this work. I believe a strength of this piece was the size and the use of shape to convey a concept and story in the final piece. It seems as though this painting has a personality and a whole life story and it. The only weakness I can see in this work in the clearity in the center of the piece. The outsides of the piece seem to have clear images of the different people and things in the work but the center seems to be more random shapes that makes the piece look less important and more cluttered in the middle.