Jenny Tran- Museum Visit

I went to Grand Rapids Art Museum and I had a chance to look around all the artworks. However, I was surprised to see this piece in the museum. It is a cardboard sign of a homeless person. The cardboard was ripped along the side. It has handwriting of homeless person on it. It says “Please make me a trace, food, money, and cigarette,” on the top left. The giant words “Ice Cold Water” was bolding and at the center of the cardboard. On the top right, he wrote “trade for a coupla cigs.” At the bottom of the cardboard, it says “I’m homeless tryin’ to make a buck.” Strangely, this piece hits me hard and makes me realize how heartless I am. When I pass the homeless person, I gave him some money but I rarely read what he wrote on the cardboard. It makes me realize that how ignorant we are sometimes. Even we try to help people, we somehow don't really care about their situation and their feeling and what they have been through. In this piece, this homeless person is not asking people just give him money. He asks for a trade. Even he does not have a job, he is still trying to earn money by his own effort. This piece is a piece of art. We may not see any techniques and visual concepts in this cardboard like other artworks. However, it involves person’s life, tears, hope, and emotions. If other artworks shows how professional and skillful they have, then this cardboard shows how emotional and realistic it is. Art is not all about techniques, rather art is about our hearts and our minds. Personally, I really love the idea of this artwork. Words are powerful because it conveys the messages to others and words connect people together.

The photo I took above was inspired by the cardboard of the homeless person. It is the sign saying "Please keep this area clean." Sometimes, when we passed this sign, we ignored it and we didn't think about how hard the other people have to clean after our pet's mess. Once again, words are powerful so we should read and take it to our hearts. Life will be easier if we understand and care for each other.