Extra Credit Post II- Pop Arts Encounter in the Heart of Chinatown

When Professor Hansen first told our class that there is a pop art exhibition in Chinatown this Saturday, my heart was filled with suspicions. For me, Chinatown in LA has always been a touristy place with broken-down residential buildings and knocked-off restaurants claiming they have authentic Chinese food. To my surprise, last night's visit at Coagula Curatorial was an eye-opener for me. I was excited to discover that there is a cluster of rising pop art galleries as a hidden gem in the heart of Chinatown and I enjoyed this little Saturday adventure of my own.

The art show "Give Me Some Head" was created by a New-York-based pop artist David White (aka Mr. Starcity). Born and raised in Brooklyn, his personal style is strongly influenced by the form of street art including murals and doodles on the wall. For me, his artwork has a playful nature that reminds me of simple artwork created by little children. Most of his work was complemented by a quote that also created by him to explain the message of the painting. It was relatable to me at the first sight. I appreciate his idea of creating various possibilities based on a simple concept - a doodled head. Without any specific hairstyle, gender, or skin color, this head resembles every individual in our society. Through simple strokes and color combinations, MSC is able to appeal to all of the audience in the room by relating to everyday thoughts we have in our minds.

In the gallery, there are around 10 pieces of MSC's works. And the following is my favorite one among all of them. The caption next to the painting is "YOUR FIRE BURNS THE BRIGHTEST WHEN YOU WAKE UP IN THE DARKEST PLACE." There is a strong contrast between the dark background of the painting and the bright color of the fiery head in the middle, suggesting that obstacles in our lives are the source of power that encourages to strive for more. I also noticed that there is a cross on the mouth for all of the character of his work, indicating that we tend to build up our feelings and thoughts inside instead of expressing it out to others under the stressful social environment nowadays.  What I can not forget about this work is the two round eye full of hope in the middle of the canvas. For me, they are almost glowing with the fiery ideas in the head. I enjoyed the positive messages conveyed through his work are exactly what we needed as a source of courage to overcome difficulties in life.

His work of a fiery head reminds me of a quote from my favorite artist, Van Gough. In his letter to his brother, Van Gough writes, "Someone has a great fire in his soul and nobody ever comes to warm themselves at it, and passers-by seeing nothing but a little smoke at the top of the chimney and then go away. So now what are we to do, keeps this fire alive inside, have salt in ourselves, wait patiently, but with how much impatience, await the hour, I say, when whoever wants to, will come and sit down there, will stay there, for all I know? May whoever believes in God await the hour, which will come sooner or later." Nowadays, with the fast pace of our society, individuals hardly have opportunities to truly connect to one another on the emotional level. Materialism has influenced our lives to a great extent that money has somehow become the most important notion. However, I eager for conversations with genuine ideas and bonds with thoughtful feelings in my life. 

There is something more valuable than the materialistic evaluation because the true bond between people is priceless. Our lives are a series of event enoutering distinct individuals. We get to know them, become close to them, and eventually, have to say goodbye to them. The journey of human life is destined to be a lonely one, but all of the perishable companions from other people are what bestow meanings to our lives. All of us, we are the same. We are learning from constant losing throughout the process and contemplate the meaning of life peeking through each mistake we made in the past. I am glad that I attended this show. The artworks of MSC made me realize the importance of the bond between people and encourages me to continue to reach out and cherish every one I know in my life.