Jubilee Reid
This study abroad has allowed me to learn about art while viewing many famous examples of historic artwork in person. From ancient Greek statues to contemporary street art, I have been able to study many aspects of art firsthand instead of learning from only a classroom setting. Museums, outdoor archaeological sites, and the streets of Greece have become the text with which I have learned about the elements of art along with the history of art movements and the components of individual styles.
One example of artwork I experienced on this program was the sculpted relief of the Monument to the Unknown Soldier in Athens’ Syntagma Square. The artists of this work, designer Emmanuel Lazaridis, and sculptor Fokion Rok, together created a piece that memorializes and honors fallen Greek soldiers from all ages of Greek warfare. Completed in 1932, this artwork features an Ancient Greek warrior who lies fallen on the ground while still holding his shield as if remaining prepared to defend his homeland. While not an intricately detailed piece, this relief clearly conveys its purpose as a memorial to fallen Greek soldiers of the past and the future.
A quite different yet equally meaningful artwork I was able to experience was a large contemporary painting at the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation Museum in Athens. The artist Ed Ruscha painted this giant diptych, titled “Homeward Bound” with acrylics in 1986. A simple monochrome piece, this artwork depicts an historic-looking ship with sails presumably heading toward home. Against a foggy gray background, only the silhouette of the ship is depicted. The vessel’s sharp list to the left indicates that it is facing strong wind and waves, perhaps nearing rocky waters surrounding a coastal port. The use of only shades of gray leading into black gives the impression that the ship is traveling at night which adds to the treachery of the rough sea. In many ways this painting can connect with viewers, not only through its depiction of dangers of the sea, but also through the interconnecting concept of the perils of all forms of travel. For some this painting might invoke themes of emigrants, especially those of the past, who chose ships to take them to a new home and entrusted themselves and all their belongings to the uncertainty of the sea.
Homeward Bound and the Monument to the Unknown Soldier are two vastly different examples of art yet they also share similarities in that they both use simplicity to convey meanings laden with emotion and are applicable to all ages of history. These pieces are only two of many meaningful artworks which I have been able to experience firsthand as part of this incredible study abroad experience in Greece.
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