Art Through The Eyes Of The Victims--Danielle Sargent

March 9, 2013

In the Centre for Prayer and Dialogue we have explored an exhibition with art pieces, photographs, and other documents from the Holocaust.  Taking in all of the information around me, I have discovered that what impacts me even more than seeing the photos or the records of those who have died are the art works that were created by the survivors.  The photos taken of the prisoners were very raw, and almost emotion-less.  I feel that this might be so because they were so dehumanized by the Nazis and worn down through labor.  The artwork has given life to the dead.  It re-establishes their emotions and creates a connection to the living.  Faces upon faces of prisoners, dead or alive are seen all the time, but in bulk, they may all look the same.   However, looking at one piece of art can create more of a lasting impression than just a photograph.  The artworks are the interpretations of the photographs paired with the emotions felt by those who have suffered during the Holocaust. 

Being an artist myself as allows me to have a further connection with the different mediums.  Ceramics, drawings, paintings, and the like have been used to portray the harshness of this horrible time in history.  From experience, I know that art can be a type of therapy to release feelings that otherwise would be trapped inside the body for fear of speaking about it.  Some people may be shy or worried what others may think in means of their art, but the importance is that their art is only theirs, just as their experience is only theirs.  The only hope that they can have is for others to be impacted by their art and receive the message they were trying to send out.  That is all they can hope for, because art is without words.  It is with emotions and understanding that a lasting impact is created.