The Minneapolis Institute of Art
The Minneapolis Institute of Art, sometimes known as MIA, is one of the more well-known locations in the region and is home to some of the most renowned exhibitions of diverse works of art. Numerous sculptures and paintings from various eras are shown in the place. The exhibition chosen for this paper concentrated on modern art. The event, appropriately titled "Georges Jeanclos's Sleepers (Dormeurs)," featured the works of the aforementioned artist and made them the center of attention. The majority of the sculptures in the exhibition portrayed the historical context of the time they were created. It would be conducted from May 28, 2016 to July 2, 2017 and only has one artist. While this paper would focus on the main attraction "Sleepers" (Dormeurs), it would also cover another one of the creator's works, "Couple Dormeur". Both of which are from fried clay, one of the favorite media of the artist. The selected works basically depict the exploration of the creator in relation to human condition during World War II (Sojcher 121). Through the presentation of sleeping people made from clay that shows how people struggle to keep themselves alive and survive by being calm amidst the war, the condition of diversity and social justice during times of chaos were shown.Georges Jeanclos
Georges Jeanclos was one of the significant sculptors in France during his prime. His works became famous during the later parts of the 20th century. Jeanclos was a young Jewish boy who experienced the horrors of the Nazis during the World War II. He actually escaped the German secret police. Jeanclos's sculpture usually covers some themes related to wars due to his experiences during World War II. Thus, his works would usually contain imagery of death, resurrection, and social interconnection of people. His exhibition basically shows such themes.The Serenity Amidst Chaos
Despite the chaos Jeanclos lived through during the war, "his works releases a strange serenity" (Sojcher 175). This is visible in some of his works, which shows sleeping people. The main attraction "Dormeurs (Sleepers)" shows such serenity sculptured in fired clay. It was created in 1979 and features two people sleeping. Some proponents assumed that they were in a calm state despite the chaos. It shows how the subjects rest while expecting an unknown future (McPherson 5). Such concept was probably the way most individuals who interacted with Jeanclos thought during the war. While they struggle to survive, they didn't know what would happen to them. The future was unclear. While the Jews were uniquely prosecuted by the Nazis, they were still diverse as a group. Some of them panicked while some remained calm. Such concept also shows the inability of the Germans to see through such diversity which led to the suffering of a lot of people. As such, the sculpture can also be connected to social justice as it connotes the injustices the Jews faced in World War II.An Act of Unity
The other artwork that would be presented here depicts a similar theme but has its own unique features. It was created in 1977 by Jeanclos and shows two people in bed intimate with each other. It was also created in clay and features the same environment as "Dormeurs". However, the main difference here is the presence of an intimate couple who shows unity on their way to sleep. It presents the irony of the situation. Despite the disunity of rags surrounding their place of rest, they attempt an act of unity. Such is the case of diversity at that time. Despite the differences among people, those who were persecuted were united against a common foe. At the same time, the sculpture shows inequality in terms of social justice as the couple are forced to do their intimate act on a ragged place of rest because of the chaos happening during that time.The Interpretation of the Sleepers
The sculptures mentioned above shows an image of people sleeping in rags and remaining calm. However, that was just the assumption of most people because of the name given by Jeanclos. Some critics are considering the fact that those individuals are actually dead. They took note of the fact that the artworks may possibly be a representation of suffering and death (McPherson 5). Such thinking may be valid since Jeanclos was representing a time of war. The people depicted in the sculptures might be exhibiting a calm demeanor amidst death. However, the artwork "Couple Dormeur" are basically shown an image of two people doing an intimate act. This means that they are alive. One could not take away the fact that the main attraction "Sleepers (Dormeurs)" is actually presenting dead people. Whether the subjects are alive or not is actually up to the audience. For this paper, it would assume the belief of the many that the people remain calm and resting amidst the chaos. Through such depiction, the image of a calm struggle to survive can be seen. The presentation, which shows rags, represents the diversity and social justice during that time. It shows the injustice of World War II mainly because of the persecution of Jews by the Nazis. It shows how diversity was not respected and people have to suffer because of that.Works Cited
McPherson, Anne. The Sculpture of Georges Jeanclos. Toronto: The George R. Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art, 1995.
Sojcher, Jacques. Georges Jeanclos. Cercle D’Art, 2000.
