A huge issue in America today is taking action to prevent school shootings across the nation. Just in 2019, there has been 46 mass shootings in U.S. school facilities thus far. These events have began many conversations over not only firearm regulations, but what the government has the power to do to make a difference. When it comes to gun laws, the two ends of the political spectrum have drastically different views on solutions. However, a large portion of the American population has voiced their concern about this issue and their views on possible solutions. Many powerful political art pieces have centered around this topic, and through controversial imagery, many artists have made it their goal is to spark conversation about this ongoing crisis.
Jim Carrey, a very successful Hollywood actor, has recently taken a step back from acting to put his time and energy into his painting business. His artwork display a wide range of color and topics, from abstract art to deep, powerful political pieces. His most famous pieces are his negative depictions of Donald Trump, who he is obviously not a fan of if we analyze his artwork of him. One piece in particular stood out to me, as it addresses the big issue of mass shootings in our public schools.
This painting, done by Jim Carrey in February of 2018, titled, “Oh say, can’t you see?!” displays an emotive picture of a female student that has been shot in her school. Her clothes represent a stereotypical schoolgirl outfit that includes the plaid skirt and a long sleeved sweater. She is laying on the floor with her eyes closed, surrounded by her school supplies like her backpack, pencils, glasses, and books. The floor of the school is painted to be an American flag, which represents freedom, which this girl in the painting does not have. The red color of the stripes overtake the picture, as it symbolizes the blood of the incident. You can see the red color leaking onto the students clothing and body, as well as her school supplies. The red of the flag is also shown in the red combat boot prints that go along the bottom of the painting, as if the floor was covered in a red liquid like blood. The red boot prints represent the shooters path, and are shown as if they walked overtop of her body to continue their rampage. Her body position in the painting can infer that this student is either unconscious, severely hurt, or has already passed away. If we look closer at the picture however, Jim Carrey has painted about 7 bullets laying on the ground around her, which allows the viewer to know that she has been shot.
Jim Carrey has brilliantly showed the horrific truth of this national issue: That innocent children are being killed in a place where they should feel the safest, at school. This image evokes strong emotion from the person who views it. By using a visual of a child being physically hurt, he is targeting everyone in America that values the safety and protection of our children, which is just about anyone with a heart. This sadening image stirs emotion in all Americans no matter their political identification, and creates the feeling of wanting to do something about the issue.
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