Three Hands By Sara Cwynar: Analysis

I began my search on the Minneapolis Institute of art’s website. I looked up and down on the vast selection of works and galleries, until under contemporary works I found Three Hands by Sara Cwynar (pictured below). It immediately jumped out to me from the bright background complemented by the black and white subject. I looked at this piece for at least 10 minutes, just as confused as I was after glancing at it. The two sheets of canvas are both overwhelmingly dotted with dozens of photos, notes, and objects of all kinds. This mass of ideas and presumptively random objects is intriguing to any observer and draws them in for a more detailed look. From a distance, this piece appears to be a chaotic and unstructured; perhaps an abstract experiment,
The unique medium of clippings of photographs is one of the ways that Cwynar physically emphasizes how weak our international relations were. The images are quite literally bits and pieces of a culture held unsecurely onto a canvas of understanding. The objects and photos flake off the canvas similar to a person who knows buzzwords of a topic but has no understanding of the meaning of content. Photography was a staple of the time and of the Kitsch movement. The use of photography and magazine clippings shows the idealized world that can be seen through the lens of a camera. The photos alone don't tell the entire story however, these are accompanied by a variety of household objects. These artifacts both guide the viewer’s eyes and make them ask questions. The objects, ranging from bed sheets to sea shells, could be from either of the two worlds Cwynar is portraying, the US or Korea. This adds to the comparisons the viewer makes between these two worlds. Both photos and objects are followed by brief notes and scribbles underneath. Either asking questions or drawing conclusions from the objects and photos they surround these anecdotes show the audience that the artist doesn't have the full story either. As she assembles history of this unique time and place through bits and pieces, there isn't a clear image of what the full story is. The two split and completely separate canvases could show the divide
At this time, nearing the end of the cold war, South Korea was a subject to Americanization. The newly instituted democracy and forced American influence has created the alternate world that Cwynar is portraying. The complex experiences of a South Korean businessman amidst new aid from the US and conflict with the North, has been distilled down to a series of images. Cwynar was successful in expressing this unique scene and making commonalities seen between that time and today through the imagery and ideas expressed. Although the full story isn't clear, the unknown aspects of this time and place force the viewer to ask questions and search for even more commonalities. When at first this piece overwhelmed me, after looking what it represents, it is simple by comparison. The beauty and mystery of this piece made me grow to enjoy it on a physical level. But the scenario and relationship it express has now brought me to enjoy it on a level of understanding as