RESPONSE TO JONATHAN DARBY by A Baikie Year 11
My art piece is inspired by the artist Jonathan Darby. He paints beautiful, thought provoking portraits that focus on socio-political aspects, as he exposes the horrors in our world that are easily overlooked; pre-eminently in his piece ‘Congo’. Darby encourages rebellion against war and suffering and to promote truth, peace and united society as he creates a deep sense of pain. His art shocked me through his use of painting innocent children surrounded by the corrupt actions of society using dark, ominous colours, meaningful words and harsh textures. However, the children do not seem broken or to have given up; in their expression one can see the resilience their experiences have given them and how strong they are. I love his style of work and I think using art as a way to convey messages is an amazing technique. Darby’s work, to me, shows his concern for the future whilst encouraging us to create a better society by rebelling 16
against violence and unjust society, or the younger generation will suffer the consequences. He also exposes the most overlooked tragedies and disturbs his audience through the poverty and difficulties he has seen that everyone should be more aware of. I think there is a deep emotional message within his art as he focuses on young children which should motivate the audience to create an accepting, more peaceful society and also to make ourselves more aware of the situations and happenings around the world. I believe that his interpretation of rebellion is particularly interesting as he takes moments in history and creates art which will resonate differently with each individual, yet it unites us through human nature to rebel against injustice and to help others. It also further made me realise how lucky I am to be the one looking at his paintings, not the ones living through the difficult, heart wrenching events he portrays.
