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Fragzav t1_j5rcsv9 wrote

Me: it's a bit odd that the dress and blanket patterns look connect... Oooooh! (I like it)

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Zee_tv t1_j5siqd6 wrote

Wouldn’t have noticed this without your help! Thank you!!

Also love this and am fascinated by this piece!!

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wazuhiru t1_j5tbwjt wrote

the title is literally "common thread"

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Zee_tv t1_j5woukp wrote

It really didn’t hit me! I’m still so impressed!

ETA: I’m also disappointed that I didn’t figure this out on my own. I love puzzles, especially visual onessss!

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silver_birch t1_j5tockq wrote

That apparently is the “common thread” expressed materially. It originates from the top, “heaven”, runs past the man’s head and then runs through the patterns of all the garments before returning up the other side of the man’s head to whence it came. The immaterial or psychic representation of the common thread is symbolized by the lighted candles. The idea of a common thread is profound given the many disparities present in the composition. Vertical versus horizontal, with each having a male and female element. This resonates with the four directions, N, S, E and W. And four colors: black and white, yellow and red. It is interesting the figures are clothed in garments predominantly of a hue represented by the figure opposite. This would put the colors in the proper geographical proximity. White for the snowy north, black for the rich soil of the Nile, yellow for the rising sun in the east and red for the setting sun in the west. The composition exhibits a quaternity which is a symbol for the wholeness of physical existence. So everyone, no matter where they are from share a common experience of the sublime.

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Li_3303 t1_j5vietu wrote

This is really helpful, thank you! 😊

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Seclusion_door1960 t1_j5qre1c wrote

I see some Klimt influence here.

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geo_mallory t1_j5rxqc5 wrote

I thought "Klimt meets the WPA." Certainly Secessionist influences.

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[deleted] t1_j5u0dac wrote

[deleted]

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geo_mallory t1_j5u34u4 wrote

Yes, the Works Progress Administration was a New Deal program during the Great Depression in the US. Among the initiatives of the WPA were many visual arts programs, including lots of murals the style of many of which remind me of this piece.

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Problematicbears t1_j5syl1x wrote

Leo and Diane Dillon vibes for me.

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Seclusion_door1960 t1_j5u4cmn wrote

Your right it does. I had never heard of Dillion. I looked him up.

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Li_3303 t1_j5vhl1v wrote

I was a huge fan of the Dillons. Leo and Diane Dillon were a husband and wife team who collaborated on artwork together. They mainly illustrated books covers including many for science fiction, fantasy books which is how I first discovered their work. Back in 1981 I bought a copy of The Art of Leo and Diane Dillion. But it’s just a thin book and of course only covers their work up to that time. I would love to find a book of their later works but I have searched over the years and there hasn’t been one published. They did so many wonderful covers. I am so disappointed that no one has ever published a comprehensive book of their work.

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Li_3303 t1_j5vc194 wrote

That was my first thought as well.

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Queenhotsnakes t1_j5uaphf wrote

Yes, if I'm remembering correctly, Klimt would have his models lay on their backs to get the "from below" angle a lot of his paintings use.

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LaPetite_Mort86 t1_j5roqzf wrote

I would watch the hell outta this movie.

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TridentLayerPlayer t1_j5rzcvj wrote

Enjoy your 3hr long viewing of Cloud Atlas

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Practice_NO_with_me t1_j5suba8 wrote

I really liked that movie, tbh. It was messy for sure but it was different, it was interesting. Honestly it would have been a great candidate for deepfaking technology, like five years from now to make the racial transitions more seamless. I liked what it had to say, I liked the big ideas, I dunno something about it really captured me.

Sadly, I did not like the book nearly as much which is unusual.

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GAFF0 t1_j5szwsw wrote

Having barely survived though Sloosha’s Crossin’: An’ Ev’rythi’ After, where I felt exhausted reading a few pages of the narrator's mumbling jibber-jabber at a time, I'm not sure about finishing it.

I applaud the concept of the book, the attention to detail in writing style of the character for their own period, and the intrigue each story brought.

But I would rather bail and read the Coles Notes than basically having to re-read the first few chapters because I forgot the characters by the time I got off Big-I.

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Taco-Starlight t1_j5s11y0 wrote

Thomas goes to my church. Insanely nice guy. His work is astounding.

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tawondasmooth t1_j5s5ezh wrote

Tell him someone you talked to on Reddit shared so much of a love with her mom for his figurines as a teen that she eventually saved up money from her first real job to buy her mom a couple of them. They’re still on the top shelf of my mom’s china cabinet. Also, I eventually became an artist and an art professor myself and looking at his works helped inspire that.

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psytokine_storm t1_j5rhn9d wrote

I know nothing about the artist (and very little about art), but is this just an idealized composition of groups of people who were exploited for the “expansion” of America?

I see Black, indigenous, Asian and ?Irish? represented.

What else is there to see?

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valkyriii t1_j5s13lo wrote

I could be totally wrong so don’t quote me on this, but I remember seeing this posted before and this was a note on the candles and the Irish woman:

The Irish woman is not shielding her candle and is now able to let her flame burn openly, while the others are still protecting theirs. I think this was a really cool detail and wanted to share.

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grumbledork t1_j5uew3v wrote

this is correct. Notice also that she is collared, but still holds a superior air to herself. It speaks on how eventually the irish were eventually truly considered “white” when they lost much of their cultural roots and were folded into the white protestant hegemony. This is one of my favorite pieces of his for me, it’s so intense to read!

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PlatinumPOS t1_j5sis5k wrote

I took the people to each represent continents - Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas. So, I don’t see “Irish” as much as I see “European”. I took the theme to be showing how similar and connected we all are (via the thread).

The hint of colonialism / exploitation I see is that the European woman is holding her candle (representing culture) without fear, while the other 3 are cautiously protecting theirs, having dealt with attempts by others to extinguish them.

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Stella-cloud t1_j5s9mar wrote

I think it could be tying together ideologies/mythologies across specific cultures that are far from one another but actually hold similar myths-which lends support to the idea of universal truth across humanity by spontaneous development. Right when I saw it I read as a nod to the myth of the sacred hoop/medicine wheel (Sioux) that speaks on the interconnection of everything in the universe, old Celtic myth uses four directions as well to symbolize the connection of mind/body/soul/heart in tandem w elemental ideas.

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TheImperios t1_j5sas3u wrote

I am dumb and I literally thought it was just about how different religions all have a reverence for fire and candles.

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Zee_tv t1_j5siwej wrote

Thought this too, not dumb :)

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SaidaAlmighty t1_j5rxpvv wrote

Wow, as a Central Asian, this strung some kind of chord in me

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ptelly t1_j5ql7iz wrote

Kind of reminds me of Charles white work

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dranaei t1_j5rx3o5 wrote

Whoever thought of this is a bit of a genius.

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sgobby t1_j5rytsd wrote

Such a heavy hitter in the illustration world. ::chef’s kiss::

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Effective_Passion_72 t1_j5rk0zm wrote

The guy in the center of the image reminds me of depiction of Olorun

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KarmaticIrony t1_j5rq4v8 wrote

I love this. Thanks for posting OP.

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DramaOnDisplay t1_j5sw5a4 wrote

Made me think of the movie “Three Thousand Years of Longing”, although I never actually got to watch it, looked very similar to the poster (almost lol). Amazing work though!

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AraArt t1_j5tto1d wrote

This is one of my favorite artists, I discovered him on Pinterest and save all the paintings I found. I would love to see more works of him!

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BeginningGas3569 t1_j5v6ycj wrote

Absolutely incredible, beyond all belief! You do so amazingly, it's gorgeous!

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LittleDruidStories t1_j5s9dsa wrote

Stunning. Your expressions are so detailed and well characterized.

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clubsport58 t1_j5smhy6 wrote

Such amazing colour palette and composition

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alvinofdiaspar t1_j5t7nyy wrote

Absolutely gorgeous. It’s giving me serious Mucha vibes.

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ONUSTAR t1_j5t96f4 wrote

This is really uncanny to the card art in Dragon Age Inquisition. Always loved it

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well-foo t1_j5t9w4o wrote

Finally a great painting of all people 😁 TY

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Palanstein t1_j5t3oxx wrote

A visual representation of Americans?

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navywater t1_j5si227 wrote

I wish the white woman wasnt so creepy and weird looking. The other three look fairly normal but she looks like she is about to skin some Dalmatian puppies

Edit: on second thought she isnt white… more green

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WhiteLightning416 t1_j5sd2j2 wrote

One of each race! Looks like like a modern movie poster

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RepleteDivide t1_j5r92wg wrote

I love the composition, colors, and illustration style, but I dread there being a high falutin backstory!

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filth_horror_glamor t1_j5tae33 wrote

You mean History?

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RepleteDivide t1_j5tb5gy wrote

Could you clarify the question? I'm honestly unfamiliar with "history" being a proper noun.

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filth_horror_glamor t1_j5tsy11 wrote

I don't think I need to clarify. I am honestly familiar with some redditors being proper douchebags

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RepleteDivide t1_j5w1lkh wrote

Wtf? Straight to the verbal abuse? I'm sorry that you've encountered rude people on Reddit. I evidently have too.

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