Ars Gratia Artis

The initial three paintings shown in the center of the first slide are all apart of the same exhibit in the Denver art museum. Each image was created during a time of hardship, such as the great depression, World War II, and the Korean War. As the viewer first glances at each piece, they can see hardship and destruction. Each painting depicts a scene of human struggle and suffering. Initially there is a sense of pity for those who are enduring the worst. Upon reaching deeper into the rhetorical effect of each painting one must look to the artists. Each artist produced their piece during a time American history when hardship and suffering were common to many. Without experiencing those adversities it is impossible to fully connect with the painting and understand what motivated the artist.

Much of the western United States could be described as majestic. Scenes equivalent to those in the paintings are common. The action in each scene serves to show the viewer that the majesty came with at cost. Much of western American history was left undocumented due to lack of organization and frequency of oral tradition. This is part of the reason that stories in western films are often fantasized, thus providing an inaccurate recount of the actual events. These paintings not only stand to show us certain events that occurred during the development of west, but also to recall the events which were occurring during the time which they were created.

The artists bring the hardships to the foreground, while portraying the background with beautiful, majestic scenes. The rhetorical exigence of the exhibit as a whole relates to the fact that most modern day viewers can only see the image portrayed, and not the symbolic image of hardship and struggle of the past. The final image, which comes out of the negative images, is displayed after the initial three in the exhibit. This painting serves the purpose to present the true beauty of the backgrounds of the previous paintings. Though painted in the past, is splendor can be appreciated by all those who view it. The goal of the visual was to allow all viewers to see what is unpainted by the artist by bringing it to the foreground. After showing the viewer the hardship and suffering, the visual transitions to the final painting in the exhibit. This painting brings the actual painted background to the foreground by illustrating the true beauty of the western landscape.