Murals
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"Determination" 6 x 8 feet oil on canvas |
"Homage to Carver" 6 x 8 feet oil on canvas |
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6 x 8 feet oil on canvas |
6 x 8 feet oil on canvas |
The First Panel - "Determination"
George Washington Carver (GWC) comes out of slavery, raising his arms and breaking the chains. His hands transform
into olive trees ( a symbol of his peaceful struggle). ... Two newly freed slaves touch him ... seeking his guidance.
A row of African slaves line bottom of the panel, representative of the slave trade from Africa. The bound slaves
are presented them as patterns put together: their facial expressions vary from anger to withdrawal and to passivity.
At the same time their hands suggest their resentment and struggle in dramatic movement. In the very bottom of
the panel a row faceless babies represent the future of the slaves children in their new home in America.
The carved lines of the design suggest drama and movement and play against the verticality of the standing George
Washington Carver. The golden sun disk represents hope and achievement; the diagonal rays of sunlight emphasize
the drama of the design. George Washington Carver is touched by the rays of the sun, and the yellow triangle symbolizes
liberation, enlightenment, and ascendance. The light blue represents faith and spirituality, the dark blue represents
agony and suffering, the red and warm colors represent the struggle against slavery.
The Second Panel - "Homage to Carver"
In this panel GWC presents sweet potatoes in one hand and peanuts in the other to the ancient Egyptian god Toth
(the god of knowledge and science, the creator of writing and the water wheel). In return Toth pays homage to Carver
by presenting him with a bouquet of lotus flowers in one hand and Ankh, the symbol of Life and Eternity, in the
other. The sun disk represents the glory of Carver's achievements. The rays of the sun penetrate the arms of both
figures in a sign of recognition of their unification in the devine.
The ends of the rays of sun transform into a hand that presents the peanut to earth and to humanity (growing peanuts
enriches the soil). This is a contribution to the welfare of the world as a whole, represented by the big yellow
circle in the middle of the panel. The earth responds by blooming with more lotus blossoms.