The End of Innocence
By Jenna Larson
Something I think should be included in our InterArts Cabinet of Curiosity is part of a collection at the Wadsworth museum titled: “The End of Innocence: Childhood Torments in the Contemporary Arts Collection.” The Wadsworth museum shows off this collection on their website and includes the names and creators of each piece in it. One object that specifically stuck out to me is by Vanessa German. It is titled: Tar Baby On Pig With “N” and it was created in 2011. The reason this odd piece of art stuck out to me is the fact that one part of its creation is “found objects”, including beads, cloth, and plugs. To me, it embodies the idea of making something out of nothing, which can be done with random, found objects. The End of Innocence exists to pull back the curtain and make people aware of the more traumatic parts of childhood. It is not always innocent or dream-like. For example, the “tar baby” is in reference to the Uncle Remus stories by Joel Chandler Harris. His stories are thought to be based on African folklore and may be considered offensive because of how they portray black stereotypes. The collection describes how it represents children dealing with issues such as racism, bullying, and poverty, among others. Many children are forced to become adults at an early age because of things going on in their life they may barely understand yet. This is a powerful message that I believe is worthy of our own cabinet.While this collection has a more dark and serious tone, at first glance I was inspired by simply the idea of childhood being used in our cabinet. We’ve been talking in class a lot about the Watkinson Library, and I’m always brought back to childhood when I think of libraries. They have been a staple in my life, but my first memories of libraries come from visiting them as a child. My love of books today was greatly impacted by school and public libraries. In fact, the poem I created for this assignment was inspired by a novel.
This innocent outlook on the piece is definitely a juxtaposition to what the message really is. However, while it is important to understand and recognize why certain pieces of art were made, I believe inspiration can come from anywhere and everywhere, and it doesn’t always have to make the most sense. It goes to show that you can make connections in your mind in a multitude of ways, and art often helps people do that. I find that also in the idea of a “found object”. You can find inspiration from an object that may have nothing to do with what you create. The things we find in places like libraries and museums can have a great effect on us and stick with us for years. I think taking one piece and including it in our cabinet will keep the theme of childhood innocence, even without the entire collection. To me, this is an important and impactful concept and would make a great addition to our cabinet.
