Murals

In my time at IU, I’ve spent a fair amount of time sitting in Woodburn 100, a large lecture hall on campus. On the walls of this space, there are two large murals staring across the room at each other. I have sat between them and stared back countless times, though if you asked me right now, I wouldn’t be able to tell you exactly what they were about. I could tell you, however, that I have noted time and time again the massive muscles showing through the clothing of workers. It turns out that these murals are the work of Thomas Hart Benton, and that these bulging muscles are characteristic of his work.

This week, we visited the IU auditorium to view others of Benton’s murals. In our readings, we learned that these murals were purchased under the direction of the president of IU, Herman B. Wells during the construction of the auditorium in 1938. These murals, having made an appearance at the World’s Fair, centered on Midwestern life and history.

Our site visit inspired a relatively random question. When we arrived at the auditorium, we discussed the medium of Benton’s artwork. Ms. Jean shared that tempera paint is made with eggs. I wonder if vegan artists refuse to use this paint, or if it can be made without eggs. I feel like out of all professions, artist may be one of the highest in vegan population.

I did a little bit of research, and it seems that this is an area in which people are growing in concern. There are all kinds of ethical and environmental factors that artists are considering, including both materials themselves and packaging and manufacturing processes. I personally am neither vegan nor artist, but if you are or wish to be, http://veganactivist.wordpress.com/2010/05/01/vegan-art-supplies/ seems to be a good resource for thinking about and discovering how to do vegan art.

Back to Benton.

I thought the comparison between Benton and Michelangelo was interesting and not one I would have thought of on my own. I was privileged enough to be able to spend time in Florence and Rome a couple of years ago and to see some of Michelangelo’s masterpieces like David and the Sistine Chapel in person. Here is a stellar photo of how fashionable I looked on the day I visited the Vatican.

Note the pushy tour guide who straddled innocent strangers to hasten our journey through the Sistine Chapel. Clearly, this is a snapshot of the best of friends in the best of times. Overall, a memorable experience. 

Both of these artists used vibrant colors, active poses, and emphasis on the human body (especially muscles). To me, the differences between artists seem more prominent. Benton was a painter; Michelangelo was a painter, sculptor, poet, and architect. (I looked up his poetry out of curiosity. I would suggest it if you are every in a dramatic poetry reading mood.) Whereas Benton’s murals centered on a region, Michelangelo’s focused on a faith.  They lived in entirely different times and places. I wonder if, given the opportunity, the two of them would have been friends.