Context, Meaning, and Value – The Life of Washington Painting by Depression-Era Artist Victor Arnautoff
What do you think should be done with the artwork (e.g., painted over, covered, destroyed, left as is in plain view, etc.)? Why?
The artwork should be destroyed mainly because there is vagueness in it, and the most likely interpretation would be the glorification of white supremacy, slavery, and genocide. One would argue that the artwork critiques America’s colonial history (Wick, 2019) and that its objective is to make one uncomfortable with the truth to make sure that history never repeats itself. However, I feel that this would not be the first thought. For instance, suppose one visited a small town and came across a huge poster depicting an old man marrying a teenage girl. This poster could probably have been made for a similar reason, as that of Victor Arnautoff, but such would not be the first thought that comes to mind. Besides, cultural and societal changes not only influence individuals’ lived experiences but also their perceptions of artwork (Refice, 2022). While history may be perceived as fixed, human perception, knowledge, and values constantly evolve, affecting the interpretation and significance of art. Essentially, the essence of art transforms alongside societal values, even though its physical appearance remains unchanged, and I feel this should play a part in deciding what to do with the mural.
What message do you think the artwork conveys?
As mentioned above, the artwork conveys the gory history of America, which was characterized by white supremacy, leading to the genocide of Native Americans, slavery, maiming, and killing of millions of Africans, among other atrocities. The painting looks like something a white supremacist would have had in their house back then rather than something that critiques these atrocities.
Do you think the message is vague?
Yes, I find the message of this artwork imprecise. The artist meant to critique American history, but it looks like he glorified it.
Do you think the message of the artwork is sufficiently important that the message alone requires that it be saved?
I think that the message the artist intended to convey in this artwork is sufficiently important for the artwork to be saved. However, there is, as mentioned before, vagueness in how the message was conveyed, which I believe affects the value of the artwork, and, as such, I do not think the artwork should be saved as it does not accurately convey the message.
References
Refice, M. F. (2022). Sublime dissonance: Art, politics, and historical record on a San Francisco school wall (Doctoral dissertation).
Wick, J. (2019). Newsletter: What will become of San Francisco’s controversial George Washington mural? Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-08-13/san-francisco-mural-controversy-george-
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Question 
Select one of the following options to research for this discussion:
Option 1: Google. You will find numerous reports concerning a California school district that voted to paint over a mural in the high school.
Context, Meaning, and Value – The Life of Washington Painting by Depression-Era Artist Victor Arnautoff
The Life of Washington was painted by Depression-era artist Victor Arnautoff.