Overwhelmed
It is believed that perceptions are important in shaping people’s personality. I say that perception is everything. The way I respond to a situation depends on my perception of the environment and that defines my personality. We all inhabit the same world , yet each of our worlds is different .
Art mirrors life and one piece of art that represents this truth is The Scream by Edvard Munch . Edvard Munch was a leading painter of the expressionist school that used powerful, dark and bold colours to represent complex emotions . His work was greatly influenced by his childhood experiences that were predominant with feelings of melancholy, agony and anxiety. His art became the medium for him to bring to fore emotions that were repressed . A trip to Paris brought about some changes in his perspective which is reflected in some of his later work.
The Scream is the most famous of the paintings in a series dealing with the intensely powerful yet personal experience of the feeling of anxiety . In the painting , a figure of ambiguous sex is seen shutting its ears with its palm and mouth wide open , as if letting out a scream .
The detail that caught my attention was the look of nonchalance in the face of the other two people. It reiterates the fact that the overwhelming feeling as depicted by the dramatic colour of the sky , the fjord and the expression on the face of the main figure is a very personal experience based on the figure’s perception. It also resonates with the fact that feelings like anxiety can be very alienating.
The painting has a personal significance. I am a person with autism and my senses make me perceive the world in a way that is totally unique. There are times when I feel overwhelmed in situations that are commonplace to others and my reaction is very similar to that of the figure; an attempt to shut out the scream that only I seem to hear. The environment around me seems dramatic only in my head as others carry about their business as usual. My perceptions define my reactions and the moment has to pass.
This painting has inspired many images in mainstream media- the poster of the movie Home Alone and the character ghostface from halloween are a couple of popular examples.
I believe that this image can be used to help people understand what a meltdown feels like for people with autism.
To quote Rumi, “ Your path is yours to walk alone. Others can walk it with you, but nobody can walk it for you.” The journey along the path of autism is a unique one with occasional moments of high intensity. Art like The Scream can help people understand what such moments of high intensity feel like.
Nice!!. 🤗
ReplyDeleteThank you deepa aunty
DeleteAmazing as always! 💜🌼
ReplyDeleteThank you so much varsha madam... all thanks to your encouragement and belief in me.. you are an awesome teacher
DeleteMeans a lot to hear you say this Aditi. You're an awesome student!
DeleteNicely written .
ReplyDeleteWonderful🤗🤗♥️
ReplyDeleteGlad you chose this famous piece to talk about emotional experiences, with the hope of changing perspectives! Lovely writing Aditi.
ReplyDelete~ Shaheli
DeleteThank you shaheli madam, an amazing educator who does not give up on me even when I almost give up trying to learn something. You are the best
DeleteThis is completely into the inner world of Autism which is strikingly expressed along with a picture. Wow ! Way to go Aditi 👍👍
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, well explained.. good job dear Aditi.
ReplyDeleteThank you
DeleteHi Aditi, it is unraveling to know your mind. The way you put down your thoughts is amazing. You seem to know so much about art.
ReplyDeleteThe melt down part is intriguing. It is a great learning for parents
Also tell us how can we help to ease the melt down scenario.it may help many children.
Keep it coming.best wishes
Thank you for your kind words. My knowledge about art is all from my classes at ishanya with my awesome educator varsha ramdas madam. I also have classes with another equally amazing educator shaheli Mukherjee madam who introduced me to edvard munch and scream.
DeleteIf I have to describe what meltdown feels like in one word it is chaos. Nothing of what anyone says or does helps and it just has to pass for me to feel okay. Much like having a viral infection... medicine may reduce fever but thr infection has to pass. Hope that helps
Dear Aditi,
DeleteKudos to your art teachers.
,
Thank you for explaining .
Young individuals experiencing alienation in a not so caring world, react with an internal scream, that those around them are unable to hear, in their own preoccupations with the mundane day to day struggles to survive. Art and literature are tools that such young individuals can use to reach out to the community around them, to procure the support of the sensitive members of the community, which can greatly help in relieving the anxiety experienced by such young alieanated individuals. The painting 'Scream' comes across to me as a notable example of such a relief providing tool, acting as a support system providing relief to the alienated young individual.
ReplyDeleteThank you thatha for reading my perspective. Yes scream is a visual depiction of an intense moment
DeleteWas an insightful read, Aditi. Keep writing.
ReplyDeleteThank you shashi aunty
DeleteVery expressive and well explained different worlds 👏👏
ReplyDeleteThank you
DeleteHi Aditi....this is just so well expressed dear....can relate and understand it much better as I have a son in spectrum of ur age undergoing anxiety a lot....thanks for giving a glimpse into your world and how you feel...
ReplyDeleteThank you. I found my voice in technology and if what I write helps people in understanding how we autistics experience the environment around us and its stimuli, then I think my voice has been put to good use
DeleteIt was amazing connecting the painting to your inner emotions of anxiety and overwhelming moments....I have a nephew in the spectrum and can relate to his melt downs. But can relate this even better to our own inner struggles with anxiety which all of us have to deal with, at some stage in our life...when things become too much to handle. Thanks for helping depict that state so eloquently. The knowledge that many of us go through this...gives the strength to bear it while it lasts and be thankful when that passes.
ReplyDeleteGlad you could relate to what I wrote..anxiety exists in everyone but for some of us autistics it is ten times magnified
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