2-6 Project Part One: Artifacts and Theme Selection

2-6 Project Part One: Artifacts and Theme Selection Student's Name Institutional Affiliation Course Professor's Name Submission Date Art in many mediums provides unique insights into human experience across time and culture. This paper will analyze two cultural artifacts from different artists and chronological eras. The chosen artifacts are Picasso's "Guernica" (1937) and Lamar's "To Pimp a Butterfly" (2015). This paper will examine the unifying theme of these relics from different mediums and eras, with social unrest, injustice, and empowerment as the themes. Artifact 1: Picasso's "Guernica" Pablo Picasso's 1937 Spanish Civil War painting "Guernica" is a striking anti-war statement. The picture is about Nazi German and Italian Fascist Airforce attacking Guernica to support Francisco Franco's Nationalist forces. The chaotic composition and monochrome palette of "Guernica" reflect war's tragedy and devastation. Picasso's distorted human and animal images depict the psychological consequences of violence on innocent citizens. It depicts a deeply spiritual and social crisis, the end of a cycle, the end of a time, and an Apocalypse in which the European cultural universe, which had laid the foundations for its symbols, disappears (Soriano, 2019). Figure 1: Picasso's "Guernica" Cultural Artifact 2: Kendrick Lamar's "To Pimp a Butterfly" "To Pimp a Butterfly" is 2015's socially aware hip-hop album by Kendrick Lamar. The album explores systemic racism, identity, and African American life in modern America. Lamar's lyrics explore racial unfairness, self-discovery, and oppressed populations through symbolism and poetic storytelling. The album's many musical influences, including jazz and funk, enhance its lyrical complexity and creative depth. His career is defined by his nonconformist and battling attitude and his advocacy for improving t...