The good news... all we need to do is figure out how to abandon earth and colonize a habitable planet like ours. Making the assumption that we (we meaning people much much MUCH smarter than I) will surmount this minor detail, I began to think of course, about art.
Which 3 art pieces would I pack with me (along with Monster energy drinks, freeze dried ice cream, and Tang) to best encompass the enormity the human race? Which of the millions of artwork over history would I present to my new intergalactic friends (although disappointingly Hawkins says these would likely be simple microbes that would have no appreciate for such subjective creativity)?
The first and most obvious choice is of course The Scream by Edvard Munch. Beyond being an initial appropriate reaction to the realizing of our potential exctintion, the Scream has always been clear representation of the pain of humanity. Fear, isolation, anxiety, and depression are prevalent and have existed acutely through the human race. Few illustrations present this more poignantly than The Scream, which is why it resonates so deeply and endures so well over time. What do we do when we are so overwhelmed with negative emotion that rational thought is impossible and the primal takes over? We scream.
But what makes us human? Is it that we are susceptible to fear and desperation as shown in The Scream?
Yes... but not only.
It is also that we are innovative, we are resilient, and we love each other. Which is why Im choosing The Erosion of Time by Amariah Rauscher as my second pick. First, its a small print and would fit in my backpack.
Also, I never said the art had to be well known, just keenly relevant, as Rauscher is without even knowing it. The Erosion of Time is simple, yet brilliantly clear. Humans will fight and protect the ones we love against all odds and all rationale. We will hold on when it seems all hope is lost, we will make a stand for something that is most important to us. Rauscher says it best herself :"Everything around us is falling apart, but no matter what happens I'll always keep you safe." For after we Scream, we react,we forget ourselves, and we protect whats closest to us. However much truth The Scream holds, The Erosion of Time holds just as much, and is just as powerful.
We humans are if nothing else, a dichotomy of hopelessness and hopefulness.
The third piece of art should show natural beauty, as our planet is full of it. We are after all, just the human race, merely of group of living things living in a certain time, like a huge fraternity that will never be the same, before we were here or after we are gone. If some in this fraternity reach that neighboring planet in an effort to save ourselves from impending doom, to survive, we wont need anymore room in our backpacks for that last piece of art.
Very well put together I truly enjoy the two choices of art. The Scream and The Erosion of Time speak louder than words.
Karen commented on 21-Feb-2011 10:28 AM
Hey Connor, I enjoyed your article and would propose that we add a third piece of art--what if our little blue planet is too far away or obscured by atmospheric particulates or simply gone . . . anyway, as it is all unfathomable, I offer a third piece of art: Starry Night by van Gogh, of course (he did multiple versions but let's take the most popular one). This would show that we at one time had some respect for natural beauty and the cosmos. Also, I'd like to throw in some Hawkins quotes that seem relevant to this whole blog:
"I have noticed even people who claim everything is predestined, and that we can do nothing to change it, look before they cross the road."
And, in closing:
"We are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very average star. But we can understand the Universe. That makes us something very special."
Karen, Michelle's friend. Give me one of those Connor Cosmos . . .
Written by: Team Editor Conner Lopez
Comments
I enjoyed your article and would propose that we add a third piece of art--what if our little blue planet is too far away or obscured by atmospheric particulates or simply gone . . . anyway, as it is all unfathomable, I offer a third piece of art: Starry Night by van Gogh, of course (he did multiple versions but let's take the most popular one). This would show that we at one time had some respect for natural beauty and the cosmos. Also, I'd like to throw in some Hawkins quotes that seem relevant to this whole blog:
"I have noticed even people who claim everything is predestined, and that we can do nothing to change it, look before they cross the road."
And, in closing:
"We are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very average star. But we can understand the Universe. That makes us something very special."
Karen, Michelle's friend. Give me one of those Connor Cosmos . . .