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Imagery In Gerard Sekoto's Song Of The Pick

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Gerard Sekoto produced revolutionary imagery in his works of art. One of the most impactful yet simple pieces of creativity is, “Song of the Pick.” This image shows much more than colors on a piece of paper; it reveals emotions, tension, and even energy. Sekoto depicted his form of art from his everyday lifestyle and he developed his own style of social realism into a unique expression. Sekoto’s purpose in Song of the Pick is to show viewers the struggle of the laborers working for the white foreman.
The image reveals many emotions that are emphasized to the viewer which can be discomforting to some, but it shows the harsh reality back in the day. For example, all of the pickaxes point diagonally toward the foreman and the laborers are lined up diagonally. According to one of Molly Bang’s principles, “Diagonal shapes are dynamic because they imply motion or tension.” But this type of painting is not as cruel looking because his purpose was not that. His work of art is more appealing to viewers than real because he did not paint down to detail of the sweat and the agonizing facial expressions. The picture reveals more of Sekoto’s feelings during the era in Africa when slavery was taking place. Examples of his feelings can include the hate toward the foreman or the sorrow for the workers that are forced to do his work. There are some calmative factors that the picture portrays such as the colors and the ground. The light colors soothes the eye because it is appealing to look

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