No.529 is an extremely large installation, measuring about fifteen feet in length and five to six feet in height. It hangs in the front window of the Gutstein gallery, demanding attention from passers-by. The artwork itself is constructed of alternating hollowed …show more content…
If the viewer stands to the far right of the artwork, the artwork is calm—a wall of white slats, reflecting pastel colors. It is reminiscent of an 80’s fueled, bubblegum dream. It brings about a sense of floating relaxation. However, if the viewer stands to the far left of the artwork, it takes on a completely different tone. Standing to the left reveals an overwhelming sense of excitement. It feels evocative of the walkway into a Las Vegas nightclub, exploding in neon pink and green—chaotic, full of movement.
Rana Begum’s artwork is a statement on the chaos of daily life. It is representative of the ways a thought or idea may look or seem different, depending on the ‘light’ in which one views it. A single day can feel both chaotic and calm. The front of each slat, painted in bright white, is representative of the repetition in everyday life, how it may all feel the same from one day to the next, and the colors represent the feelings one has, below the surface. Each moment in life is different and may force an individual to stand to the metaphorical right or left side of the artwork, and view it …show more content…
Life does not follow a linear path; it has ups and downs. Rana Begum represents this nonlinear path of life abstractly through the placement of each slat. Furthermore, the differentiating colors of each slat could also be a statement on this idea of life’s ups and downs. The bright, vibrant neons may represent the excitement of the highs in life, while the quiet pastels represent the more somber feeling of lows. This artwork illustrates the duality of these feelings in life and the quickness at which they change; as in life, the artwork can seem calm one moment, and chaotic the