Art Museum Reflection

Art Museum Reflection

Gordon Parks “American Gothic” 1942

Gordon Parks makes a very bold statement with his “parody” of American Gothic. When it comes to parodies I think of a funny song that is mocking another song with different lyrics but there is nothing funny about this picture. To me it screams “There is something wrong with America.” What is wrong you say? The role of the man and the woman. This picture is for the American public because of the American Flag in the background. The man and woman have been blended into one person. This woman in the picture has many masculine features to her such as short hair. Where is the man? He is nowhere to be found. Which says to me that Parks is calling fathers to be present. Instead of using a pitchfork the woman is holding a broom and the mop is being propped up by no one. We have moved from the farm to the house. Lastly, in the bottom right hand corner there is a black box-like thing that I don’t know what it is. It appears to be a piano.

Lastly, I wonder if Gordon Parks is addressing this to an African-American people because the lady in this picture is black. This is unknown to me because I haven’t intently studied this artwork.

What is so shocking to me is that Gordon Parks was portraying this message back in 1942. He knew there is something wrong with the role of the man and woman. Gordon Parks passed away last year but I wonder what his photography would look like today? He tried to get the message across in 1942 and no one listened.