BA in Visual Art Sherkin Island 2009 - Update - Dublin Institute of ...

artist
title
medium
dimensions
John Desmond
The Holocaust, Roll Call, Roll Call, Roll Call
Charcoal, crayon, pencil, felt markers, and chalk on paper
Scroll, 63cm approx
The Influence of Art on a Historical Event, the Holocaust. The period between 1939 and 1945, known as The
Second World War, is a defining moment in modern history. In this capsule of time there came about an
unbelievable horror where a government enslaved, tortured, starved and eventually systematically killed twelve
million innocent men, women and children, of whom six million were Jewish. Bigotry, racism and hatred in a
complex set of circumstances all funneled together and resulted in this tragedy.
In my art practice and thesis I have set out to try and examine why and how this could happen in a supposedly
civilised society. What influence had the visual arts and film making on this event? What was the effect on society
of the use and power of icons and symbols? And finally, how did modern philosophies explain how and why the
holocaust happened?
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