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Cycle Of Terror And Tragedy Analysis

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To fully understand this artwork, The Cycle of Terror and Tragedy, done by artist Graydon Parrish in 2002, one must have a general understanding of the events that took place on September 11th, 2001. Because the painting is portraying the events and the aftermath to the viewer, it is understood that the audience is aware of this significant date. Parrish has a very strong stance against the actions taken on this day, as he displays this tragic event. The viewer's eye is initially drawn to the two tall screaming men in the center of the photo, used to represent the twin towers. This sets a very dark and depressing tone as the tragedy of September 11th is truly portrayed. The story that can be seen here is read left to right on the canvas, showing …show more content…

This paintings powerful message can clearly be seen to the viewer, especially culturally when we see the torn up Constitution of the United States in the background, representing a “free-for-all” on this day as our American beliefs did not matter to the terrorists. We also see the diversity between the three suffering women in handcuffs, showing that this tragedy hit everyone, but we were all bound together as Americans. The visual claims that this event truly was horrific and shows the absolute loss of innocence throughout our nation on this one day. The hands of the men especially show the suffering and anguish our nation felt, as they are deformed, projecting their pain onto the viewer. This work specifically reflects a historical moment in American history in that it depicts the events of September 11th. However, it also shows the future that is to come with the old man who survived passing the information of these events onto the young innocently blindfolded girl on the bottom right. Clearly, this piece is superficial in the sense where it comments on one event, but it also goes deeper, showing the aftermath and actions to come for the American

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