TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

To Kill A Mocking Bird is a novel by the american writer Harper Lee, it was published in 1960. It deals with big issues such as rape and racial inequality at a time when racism was very present in the USA. It tells the story of a family who live in an invented "tired old town" in Alabama during the great depression. The story focuses on the two young children, Scout and Jem who befriend their neighbour Dill. Their father, Atticus is a widowed lawyer who takes on a very difficult and polemic case. He decides to defend Tom a young black man who is accused of raping a young white women. The children face mockery and criticism because of their fathers decision to defend a black man but they respect and agree with him entirely. Despite the fact that Atticus defends Tom brilliantly and makes it very clear that he is innocent, he is found guilty and shot after he tries to escape from prison. The children who secretly watched the trial are shocked and their faith in their country's justice is lost.

I think we can relate this book to the notion of myths and heroes thanks to Atticus's character. He is a honest and brave man who takes a big risk and put's his family's reputation at risk to defend Tom because he knows it's right. In many extracts of the book Atticus explains to his children why he made this decision and they both admire him hugely for his sense of justice. He is a very wise and calm man who raises his children very well despite the fact that he has lost his wife. He has become an image of true justice and many lawyers think of him as a true hero.  The scholar Alice Petry explains that "Atticus has become something of a folk hero in legal circles and is treated almost as if he were an actual person." He is seen as a true hero and has been honoured publicly many times in Alabama as has Harper Lee. The book was so successful that in 1962 the director Alan J. Pakula decided to make a cinematographic adaptation of the story. The film was very well received and the book is often studied in school in anglophone countries. 

AN ART EXHIBITION REVIEW

I  saw an excellent exhibition at the Thyssen museum in Madrid that I really enjoyed! "POP ART MYTHS", as it's name suggests is an exhibition on the pop art and culture during the late 50's and early 60's. It focuses on the works of art or artists that have become myths in the world of pop culture. You can go get some extra information on the museums website here or go check out the virtual visit online because unfortunately it's no longer on as it took place from the 10th of June to the 14th of September. The museum is really easy to access via public transport as it's located at the Paseo del Prado, num 8, 28014 if ever you find another exhibition that interests you!

This exhibition contains amazing pieces by the Pop Culture legends such as Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol and Peter Blake, but also some more original collage style prints by Wolf Vostell or Mimmo Rotella. A great team of technical curators and the head curator Paloma Alarco did a really exceptional work for the organisation of the exhibition, dividing it in pertinent "sections".

The first real target, by Peter Blake, 1961

Enamel on canvas and paper on board, 53.7 × 49.3 cm Tate. Purchased 1982 
© Peter Blake. All rights reserved, DACS/VEGAP 2014

Cleopatra, by Mimmo Rotella 1963
Décollage on canvas, 134 x 137.6 cm Private collection 
© Mimmo Rotella, VEGAP, Madrid, 2014

This exhibition was truly aesthetically pleasing as pop art consists in lots of bright colours and shapes.  I personally really enjoy this style as it portrays a time where everything was changing very quickly. Some pieces really illustrate how consumerism became fashionable and essential in society during this time, for example, this is seen in one of my favourite paintings of the exhibition: Still life # 34 by Tom Wesselemann.

"Still life #34", Tom Wesselmann, 1963

As you can see Wesselemann has inspired himself from classic paintings of still lives in the construction of his piece and the flowers and pear but has added a modern touch with the Coca Cola bottle and the Lucky Strike packet. Both of these labels are emblems of consumerism in the 60s and the bright colours also create a contrast with original still life paintings.


Even though I thought the whole exhibition was quite outstanding, my utmost favourite work of art was Andy Warhol's "details of renaissance paintings". It portrays a cut out of the famous renaissance painting "the birth of Venus" by Botticelli. Warhol chose to keep just Venus' head, and inspiring himself from the original work of art, he changed the colours to a more pop art style. I find it extremely clever to chose a painting from the Renaissance seeing as the movement consists in getting rid of all the old rules and styles and creating something completely new and different, but still using as inspiration ancient Greek and roman styles (hens the name "rebirth"), just like the Pop art movement. Not only does it show a new version of an old painting but it also illustrates the huge influence that Greek gods, or in this case goddesses have had during the whole of human history. Venus, the goddess represented in this work, is the Roman goddess whose functions encompassed love, beauty, desire, sex, fertility, prosperity and victory. The Romans adapted the myths and iconography of her Greek counterpart Aphrodite for Roman art and Latin literature. In the later classical tradition of the West, Venus became one of the most widely referenced deities of Greco-Roman mythology as the embodiment of love and sexuality. I found it really eye opening to see this painting because I realised the importance these kind of heroes can have, even in our society today. They are eternal references in our culture that have been used time and time again in all kinds of Arts. They have become pure myths having been represented in so many different ways.  As I am a big fan of ancient cultures and I am currently writing my final year dissertation on the importance of Greek myths, it was really an excellent surprise to come across this painting as it's not one of the most famous pieces of Pop art and I honestly wasn't expecting to come across it.

All in all, it was a real pleasure to go see this exhibition and I'm really pleased I went to go see it. Unfortunately it won't be touring anywhere as it's no longer on which is also why I decided to write this review so that you guys could get an idea of the exhibition even if you haven't had the chance to go. 

Here is a picture of the painting I mentioned,

"details of a renaissance painting" by Andy Warhol, 1964

Well, thanks to all of you for reading and see you soon for my next review!!