The painting “Paper Twins” by Martijn Benders is a striking and thought-provoking piece that features creatures made of ink that blend into each other. The most striking feature of the painting is the set of white eyes that both creatures share. This use of white in the eyes can be seen as a political statement, as the color white has a long history of symbolism in art.
In art, white has been traditionally associated with purity, innocence, and spirituality. However, in contemporary art, white is also often used to represent absence or emptiness, as well as a lack of identity. This can be seen in the use of white eyes in the painting, which can be interpreted as representing the loss of individuality and the blurring of boundaries between the two creatures.
Another work of art where white plays an important role is the painting “Black, White, Gray” by Ellsworth Kelly. This painting is a monochromatic composition of black, white and gray, where the artist intended to create a feeling of spiritual emptiness, by using the color white. This painting, as well as “Paper Twins” both use the color white to evoke a sense of absence, emptiness, and a lack of identity.
Politically, the color white can also be associated with snow, which has been used as a metaphor for the suppression of dissent and the erasure of individuality. For example, the phrase “whiteout” is often used to describe a situation where the visibility is obscured by falling snow, and this can be used to describe a situation where information and perspectives are obscured or suppressed.
