Introduction
Two cultural works have been selected for the current analysis: American Gothic, created by Grant Wood, and Scream, painted by Edvard Munch. While being rather different in style, the two pieces of art reflect specific aspects of the lives and periods of their respective authors. American Gothic and Scream illustrate how acts of creative expression are interconnected with the people and situations surrounding them.
American Gothic
The two above-mentioned works suggest that expressive compositions can impact and are impacted by individuals and circumstances through diverse ideas. For example, Wood painted American Gothic because of being influenced by the insights he obtained about art in France alongside his life in Iowa and getting inspiration from other creators, persons, and surroundings (Collins, 2020). Consequently, he created American Gothic to affect the observers and their experiences in a certain way. For instance, Wood followed the Victorian hair code when depicting the woman in the paintings to symbolize strictness, but he let a lock of hair escape to imply her being a human after all (Collins, 2020).
Scream
Similarly, Munch created Scream after being influenced by an unsettling vision when walking with two friends, and the creation affected the period Munch’s contemporaries lived in by depicting modern man’s anxiety (Lloyd, 2019). Accordingly, acts of creative expression impact people and the situations surrounding them through views put in by authors, but are also impacted by individuals and circumstances, giving the authors ideas for composing.
Conclusion
American Gothic and Scream depict close connections between creative expression and different persons and conditions. Such art pieces raise the following questions about the relationship between culture and expression: how do various compositions help understand diverse cultures, and are all creative acts of creative expression affected by their authors’ cultures? Moreover, some queries regarding my values and how others’ expressions shape them are: is what I perceive to be important influenced by people, or am I in control of my beliefs, and how can I ensure that I choose my values? I would answer the listed questions by searching for relevant information from outside sources and reflecting on my experiences.
References
Collins, B. R. (2020). Spinster tales: A closer look at American Gothic and its circumstances. American Art, 34(2), 78-95. Web.
Lloyd, T. (2019). The Scream: The story behind Edvard Munch’s haunting masterpiece. Web.