The Beauty of Simplicity

The short films shown yesterday were described as simple. I would agree, the concepts therein were simple but the effect can be complex. Not only did the films make us laugh, but they also saddened us. We all laughed when the characters died in The Hell's Kitchen but when the robots fell and committed "suicide" respectively, we all felt sad. 

This painting is Willie Gillis in College by Norman Rockwell. Rockwell is often criticized for being simple. While I agree the painting itself is simple, the concept and effect are complex. This painting is part of a series about Willie Gillis, a fictional soldier in World War II. Every other painting in the series shows Gillis in uniform but this one marks the end of fighting and the return of the GIs who might take the GI Bill to go to college. This one represents calm, more settle times for the country. 

This painting is by Mark Rothko and is titled No. 5. While the bars of color are arguably more simplistic than Rockwell's Gillis, Rothko holds a standard as a more serious artist proving that simplicity can be better than the complex.