Color is Life Illustrated

By Kathleen Ross

These men represent the elegant people and tastemakers society. Simply put, the clothes represent a historical insistence that people of every economic level get treated with equal respect. Working class people took to wearing formal wear at all times in a direct action against classist snobbery during the French occupation of the Democratic Republic of Congo. In this image, two male figures wear hats and formal jackets The color scheme is analogous, with an emphasis on pure, bright, colors. Of note, is the light, glowing blue on the masked figure on the right and of the hat on the figure to the left. This color scheme brings to my mind the essence of a bar or club where all kinds of people intermingle. The masked man hides his identity and therefore takes away the viewers ability to determine his socioeconomic status. In many ways, I see myself with in the working class because of my time working as a bartender and server at a comedy club during college. Since those days, I became fully employed and quadrupled my income, but cannot really afford more than I did back then.In a sense, my figures do send a message to the viewer, confronting them with questions about pre-conceived notions about class, race, and how to challenge social hierarchy. To protect the environment, I choose to create digital art, that only the images that are truly valued will be printed.