Artistic intention:

We were supposed to create a painting representing both aspects of peace and

conflict about our own conflict. I choose to make a mixed media painting about
the battle at Pearl Harbor between Japan and America. I used symbolism and
different objects in my art work to represent the battle.
My artistic intention was to make a very rough background to shows and
symbolise the bombs hitting Hawaii and the dark colours were supposed to
represent the ash and dirt. I tried using very dark and monochromatic colours to
then add contrast when using different colours and symbols. For the background I
used the technique of collage to cover the board. I used newspaper, old canvas,
plaster, and aluminium foil. All these materials created texture and made the
painting more three dimensional. By using those things I was able to make big
lumps in the background and make it look very rough and destroyed.
My intention by making a soldier holding an aeroplane was to show the viewer
who the enemy was at that point during the attack and to express to the reader,
that the Japanese used planes to attack the harbour and destroy the military
bases. The soldier expresses that this was a military attack and that it was
military against military, but these people where just humans. This was my
intention behind making the soldier look like a small child had drawn him. I used
a contrasting colour of white to outline the soldier and to show how the Japanese
later surrendered after America dropped the two atomic bombs.
I made a peace sign with the American flag, to create the effect of a round vocal
point. Nevertheless my main goal was to show how America offered peace to
Japan through a peace mission. One other historic fact I took into consideration
was that the attack happened on a Sunday, which was a peaceful day for
American, because it has a religious background, which the Japanese did not
believe in though. The black hands slowly taking over the peace was so show
how after the attack America became more and more evil and entered world War
Two. The blue in the American flag and the blue peace sign represent the water,
because the attack happened at a harbour.
I tried to express in my painting by using the Japanese origami crane. I choose to
make a crane, because the art of folding origami is a very old Japanese art. Also
the crane is known around the world as a peace sign, just like the dove. Also I
illustrated this bird flying into the fight scene. To illustrate how peace could be
found if one tried hard enough; anybody who has ever tried origami would
understand, because origami is very complex, nevertheless if one tries hard
enough one can create something beautiful. One other thing I took into
consideration was that white is most commonly known as a sign of peace and
surrendering.
My vocal point lies right in the middle of the painting, in between the peace sign,
the soldier and the crane. In this way one looks at all four symbols and can
interpret it in any way possible. I tried connecting all the symbols as my vocal
point. This was very difficult, due to the spacing, but it had a purpose.

Lastly my intention was to illustrate both of the conflicting flags, in this case
Japan and America. The Japanese flag is much smaller than the American, to tell
the viewer that America was bigger in every way possible at that time. America
had more inhabitants, more land, more colonies, more military etc.
Overall my intentions were to give every single perspective a meaning, even if it
was not one hundred percent clear to he viewer.