Empathy is a term we hear a lot, but what does it mean and how does it work? Looking back through art history, we can find many moments when art has allowed us to share in the feelings of others. Here’s the video about Art and Empathy above.
I would like to mention one of my favorite photography work by Gordon Parks and how empathetic the artist was.
This photography is very astonishing and focuses on the issue of black Americans at that time. Only a half body of the black teenager was captured in the frame, but it is obvious to tell he has a very muscular physique. He, at swimming pool deck, was leaning down and trying very hard to get the white kid out of the swimming pool which can be told by his left shoulder muscle and two clear tendons in his right arm. The black teenager was in the role of hero in this photo, which was very shaking and made viewers had to rethink about some social issues. On the other hand, the white teenager, in normal body shape, seems to be very confounded. His right hand was tightly holding a black teenager’s hand, and his left hand was dangling in the air creating a clumsy blur of motion that reveals his precarious balance. The white kid was in a weak position in contrast to a black kid. It is difficult to know what exactly was happening at that time. However, this scene is very heartwarming for viewers.
DSGN 264-401 | Fall 2020 