Chester Arnold Response

Dominick McKinney

Art 160

Professor Nicole

Chester Arnold Response

9-14-10

In my art appreciation class instructed by Professor Candice Nicol we took a field trip to the Nevada Museum of Art. While at the museum we looked at the Chester Arnold exhibit which in this case Arnold focused on religious, political, and environmental based issues in his art. Although there were several pieces that captured the eye, I found myself a bit entranced by the piece entitled “Two Ravens (Two Corbies).” This piece was beautifully constructed and made in 1996. I was taken back immediately by the scorched landscape of a rather large forest with two out of the many trees although scorched standing tall in the midst of their destroyed habitat. The clouds were set up left to right with the clouds appearing serine and blue from the east (left side) to the dark clouds tainted by the carbon in the air on the west (right side). Even with the rest of the forest blackened and burned by fire there was still life in it signified by the stream of water flowing through it, seemingly heading towards a distant backdrop of an enormous mountain unblemished by the fire; accompanied by even more beautiful forest that remained untouched by the devastation. Even though the trees were burned they still stood tall almost as if with a sense of confidence and pride for itself. But even more than the landscape the two ravens hence the title, made me really look deeper into the piece, I read the template next to the piece and discovered that Arnold’s inspiration came from a poem also titled “Two Ravens” which was about two Ravens who laughed at the demise of a man who was caught ablaze in the fire. The Ravens went on to describe the man’s or rather Knights life in detail about him having kids, a wife, and a dog and proceeded to have a comedic dialogue about the knights misfortunes and rejoiced in being able to eat freely.

            In all honesty it was hard to put together what I thought Arnold was getting at, but based off of the theme of the exhibit it was probably a piece of tragic irony where the knight maybe symbolic for mankind; and the ravens were the voice of nature or the forest who laughed at the misfortune man brings upon themselves through our destructive behaviors and intentions. This piece was exponentially powerful to me, thinking of the sun rising in the east and setting in the west much like the painting. Also the ravens cackling at the fact that the knight was about to be food and has lost all that he owned, these elements make me feel like Arnold was trying to convey the power of nature with the burned but still sturdy trees rooted in the earth. The earth was here before us and we should respect its mystical power, the trees and forest will grow back even stronger and more gorgeous than before but man has but one life and it is constantly wavering never to return or grow back. The water flowing seems symbolic to the fact that nature pushes forward and continues to evolve even when tampered with showing an unshakable resiliency for survival. This piece titled “Two Ravens” by Chester Arnold is amazingly simple but deeply heartfelt and full of mystery all in one bundle giving you something to think about and possibly inspire you to create your own work of art. I feel blesses to have been able to be a part of such an experience and to know there is still creativity I the world where people are bold and express their ideals and opinions freely.