A reflection on my German identity
At SCAD, I was lucky to be able to take a class at the printmaking studio and learn different techniques, but most of all, a bit more about artistic expression.
Having lived in Venezuela for a year, in Spain for half a year, in Germany for most of my life, and in the US for over a year now, I came to reflect upon my cultural background and what that means to me as a person and also as a creative. One thing that struck me is that I have very mixed feelings about it, feeling torn apart between love for my home and thankfulness to be away from it. Thinking about how to express this, I thought it could best be shown by depicting the division between East Germany and West Germany. I realized that while most people perceive Germany as a united country, we still speak about East and West, and the division is still present in our heads. And like my own dilemma, I feel that people are torn apart about it too, some convinced that everything was better in the East or the West before the wall came down, while others, finally reunited with their families or just happy for their new freedom appreciate that the division is over.
The shown poster was done using spray paint, to lay down the yellow ground, and then screen printing two layers - red and black - on top of it. The use of this color scheme references the German flag, as these thoughts and feelings are so deeply routed in this cultural heritage.
Having lived in Venezuela for a year, in Spain for half a year, in Germany for most of my life, and in the US for over a year now, I came to reflect upon my cultural background and what that means to me as a person and also as a creative. One thing that struck me is that I have very mixed feelings about it, feeling torn apart between love for my home and thankfulness to be away from it. Thinking about how to express this, I thought it could best be shown by depicting the division between East Germany and West Germany. I realized that while most people perceive Germany as a united country, we still speak about East and West, and the division is still present in our heads. And like my own dilemma, I feel that people are torn apart about it too, some convinced that everything was better in the East or the West before the wall came down, while others, finally reunited with their families or just happy for their new freedom appreciate that the division is over.
The shown poster was done using spray paint, to lay down the yellow ground, and then screen printing two layers - red and black - on top of it. The use of this color scheme references the German flag, as these thoughts and feelings are so deeply routed in this cultural heritage.
I wished to represent my own feelings of being torn apart by using the Berlin Wall as a metaphor
