“How would you like to see the world working and
what part would you play in creating that outcome?”
I started this collage by compiling images of all the negatives I see in the world. This ended up turning into a theme of violence, with guns as the chosen symbol. The large machine gun in the upper right corner is surrounded by images of pollution and cities destroyed by war. I used these images to express my concern for the welfare of the environment and to illustrate the lasting damages that war brings. Pictures of President George Bush surround the other gun in the bottom left corner. It was not my intention to point a blaming finger at President Bush; however, I see that his administration embodies some of the large problems of our nation. Under the current administration’s platforms we have seen a lack of social programs, a violent and irresponsible foreign affairs policy, aristocracy and negligence towards the environment. I used President Bush to raise awareness of the importance of politics and the necessity of being conscious of who leads your country. I used a background of Iraq newspaper clippings to create an underlying theme of the ultimate evil that resides in war. The pivotal piece in the collage is the bloody strip of fabric that slashes down the center of the page. An important note is that the cloth goes from bloody to white. This is a symbol of hope that in the midst of corruption, morality will prevail.
The collage has a yin-yang organization. This was intended to depict that good can balance bad. My answer to all of this negativity is the simplicity of positive counteraction. With images of children, education, art, and peace signs, it is revealed that basic goods can be more effective than intricate war strategies. It is not too idealistic to wave two fingers in the air. Peace will triumph when we consciously believe in it. We all must take evil in our arms and dance it away.