Autobiography: Air By Howardena Pindell

Many artists express their core values, whether it be political, social, or moral, through their creations, which display the individual decisions made in their artistic process. No matter the form of art, each artistic decision offers a multitude of opportunities to tell a story, evoke emotion, and captivate audience members. By examining two seemingly different works, Greta Gerwig’s 2023 movie Barbie and Howardena Pindell’s 1988 painting Autobiography: Air (CS560), themes of injustice and identity manifest in both. Through the utilization of juxtaposition, repetition, and color scheme, each artist employs a unique presentation of the meaning of acceptance into society. Through the contrasting, yet equally effective, artistic manipulation of color in both works, the artist can skillfully embed an

Although differing in intensities, the use of the color pink illustrates an otherworldly feel to the settings in this film, as the color does not appear as such in nature or everyday society. The iconic relationship between Barbie’s character and the color pink instills a sense of nostalgia in viewers, allowing the set to appear playful and welcoming because of the influence Barbie has had on pop culture historically. Essentially, the use of the color pink everywhere in the film elicits interest in viewers to relive their past innocence and reflect on how that affects their identities in the present day. Contrastingly, Pindell’s painting, Autobiography: Air/CS560, utilizes more raw, earthy tones of color in an attempt to emphasize the brutality and cruelty of the injustices displayed. In particular, the use of browns, yellows, and creams suggests an exposed state of a human, in which they are vulnerable to the effects of society. The darker hues of color in the painting imply a darker, more aggressive message when compared to the lighter colors and nonviolent message in the