Marisa

Fritzemeier
Midterm Paper
15SP-ART-250-01
March 5, 2015
Purim: A Color Feast for the Eyes
As an art education major, I chose to focus my midterm project on the
retelling of a climactic piece of the Purim story. Purim is a Jewish festival that
recounts the story of Queen Esther (whose Jewish heritage had been concealed from
her husband the Persian King). Esther, through one act of bravery, unravels a plot to
wipe out the entire Jewish nation. The feast of Purim has been celebrated ever since
as a reminder of this heroic deed. Even in the darkness of the Holocaust this story
brought hope to the Jews, as they -once again- faced extinction.
I chose to make this piece as a mock lesson plan that I might use in my future
classroom. This lesson revolves around the festival of Purim (currently being
celebrated), providing an opportunity to teach about another culture. The students
final project would be a shadow box, much like mine, retelling a piece of the Purim
drama through this visual storytelling technique.
The shadow box is an excellent representation of what we have been
learning in my color theory class. The box has a paper-thin layer at the back, which
allows light to pass through it. In order for the images and colors to be seen clearly
there must be a light source nearby. Similarly, at the back of the human eye is a
retina. This paper-thin layer of cells allows light to be filtered through it, causing
images and colors to be viewed, through the use of receptors called rods and cones.

Fritzemeier 2
Based on my understanding of color theory, I chose colors that I knew would
complement one another. My pallet revolves around hues of violet and yellow, as
they typically represent royalty. The prismatic colors that Ive used on Esthers
clothing bring her dilemma to the forefront. Muted tones of these same colors make
up the middle ground, and become lighter tints as they move toward the
background. Use of perspective and color relationships creates a greater depth, both
in the retelling of this narrative, as well as the physical space.
Finally, I chose to decoupage the outside of the box with newspaper,
symbolizing propaganda that Haman, the villain, used against the Jews. As the
heroine contemplates her own mortality, after hearing that her people have
suddenly become enemies of the state, she is overwhelmed with fear. Will she go
before the King uninvited, endangering her own life? The shadow box captures the
drama of this climactic moment.