Bold Art Scholarship

Hanging in the center of the Carolyn Tanner Irish Humanities Building at the University of Utah is a painting by Pilar Pobil. This piece inspired me to share my knowledge with students around the world because it presents an interaction between people from different backgrounds trying to communicate and learn from each other. The detailed elements of the art suggest that they share similar values, like a love of nature and literature. At the same time, the viewer can see differences in fashion, physical characteristics, and mannerisms that are often influenced by where a person lives. As an Asian American with family in China and Tennessee, I have witnessed conflict from cultural differences between my mother and grandmother firsthand, but their love for their family always brought them back together. At the bottom of the frame, it says “All by nature desire to know - Aristotle”. Regardless of a person's race, nationality, and gender, gaining knowledge is always a part of human nature. Children are born curious to learn about the world around them. What information is taught can differ between cultures, but in the end, knowledge is the goal. The people in this piece have likely come together to share their knowledge to create a better world. I believe that this piece is trying to demonstrate that communities and cultures have more in common than we imagine, and no culture is necessarily better than another. It is inspiring to see people set aside their differences and collaborate to solve a global issue. Respecting each other's opinions will certainly make the world a more peaceful place. I can only imagine the artist painting this to inspire the humanities students to respect cultures and help them maintain their history through literature, cultural immersion, and research.

Vincent van Gogh has been an artistic inspiration to millions of people, so to say that his work has affected me deeply may seem unoriginal. However, when I say that van Gogh's art speaks to me I don't just mean that I find it entertaining, but that I feel deeply connected to his story and his motivations. Van Gogh's manic compulsion to create, desire for human connection, and struggle with mental illness are all things I can relate to. My favorite of his works is The Bedroom. I love this series of paintings of his small room in the Yellow House because of the pure emotion put into each. Through the minute changes in his technique, you begin to feel out a story. The placement of the bed, chair, and nightstand seem to be constants, as well as the smaller details of the table's contents. However, as the series progresses, you can see a change in van Gogh's message. Things seem to become more severe and distorted. The room no longer feels comforting but claustrophobic. You can sense that van Gogh is unraveling just by looking at his surroundings. I love this because I can relate. I know how much an external environment can affect an internal one and vice versa. It seems obvious to me that through his work van Gogh was crying out for help. Experiencing his art makes me feel understood, however cheesy that may sound. And though I know his ending was tragic, it's sort of beautiful to see someone express the same emotions as me, especially in a medium I am so fond of. Through his paintings, van Gogh tells me that it's okay to evolve and to feel deeply, and I do.