Analyze this

[Doctor Cringelord]

What is the idea of this painting in your opinion?

Please, don't look it up before answering, if you haven't come across it before.

It was surprising to find out that my interpretation of this painting is so much different than the idea of the artist.

I did not look this up or read anyone else's responses because I didn't want that coloring my impression.

So, the painting is about knowledge, identity, social control, and our relationship to the past. Or at least that is my impression. Perhaps it also has to with our relationship with nature. Maybe I'm dead wrong. Please advise.

 

[Lib]

And people will imagine quite differently. Something just doesn't work here. It's almost as if Appia is trying too hard, as opposed to, say, Magritte where things are a bit more understated and integrated. But then interpreting art is very personal, and people will have different likes and preferences.

How could you tell that it's not well integrated? Actually, all posts (if I am not mistaken) touched upon the main idea - the perception of the past or time passing, the aging, the memories. Everybody should be able to see it in their own way. To me, past doesn't exist for itself, it's part of the present and the future, and vice versa. That's actually a big issue because my imagination and thoughts tend to overwrite all my memories beyond recognition. I couldn't see 'past' in the painting when I first looked at it.

To the ones who haven't looked it up, the painting is called Between the Holes in the Memory. The room in focus is the 'memory archives', the 'books' hold the stories in the surrounding, thus this is all happening in the girl's (or an older woman's or man's (?)) mind. I imagine that's why she is half-immaterial. In this sense, the burning books are the lost, erased memories. The rest is a matter of speculation (I just don't have enough information) but most of the interpretations were fairly relevant and interesting. The leafless tree, the bust, greens flying away – it all reminds of the passing time in a different way.

 

[Lib]

So, the painting is about knowledge, identity, social control, and our relationship to the past. Or at least that is my impression. Perhaps it also has to with our relationship with nature. Maybe I'm dead wrong. Please advise.

I don't believe that there is a wrong interpretation but yours seems to be pretty close to the idea of the artist. The (social) control thing was absolutely new to me before some other posters brought it up. I am more inclined to see the bust as the lurking past generations morals or something in this sense. But I have no knowledge about this detail in particular. I tried to explain what I know about this painting in post #42.

 

[Maou]

Looks like how dreams are stitched together using various memories. One has no actual body in dreams and you are only aware of your hands and head usually. The sea is the subconscious in the back of the mind. You burn through books to aquire knowledge and keep going. Looking out into the cold harsh world, they offer kindness. (The balloon).

 

[Coriolis]

How could you tell that it's not well integrated? Actually, all posts (if I am not mistaken) touched upon the main idea - the perception of the past or time passing, the aging, the memories. Everybody should be able to see it in their own way. To me, past doesn't exist for itself, it's part of the present and the future, and vice versa. That's actually a big issue because my imagination and thoughts tend to overwrite all my memories beyond recognition. I couldn't see 'past' in the painting when I first looked at it.

To the ones who haven't looked it up, the painting is called Between the Holes in the Memory. The room in focus is the 'memory archives', the 'books' hold the stories in the surrounding, thus this is all happening in the girl's (or an older woman's or man's (?)) mind. I imagine that's why she is half-immaterial. In this sense, the burning books are the lost, erased memories. The rest is a matter of speculation (I just don't have enough information) but most of the interpretations were fairly relevant and interesting. The leafless tree, the bust, greens flying away – it all reminds of the passing time in a different way.

That is my impression of it. I would not state it as an objective claim. I can see all those bits and pieces that others have mentioned. I can see lots of symbolic interpretations of this or that portion of the picture, but as I said, they don't hang together in a coherent whole. But then I'm no expert on art, and not an artist myself. I either relate to a piece of artwork or I don't, and in this case, I just don't. Doesn't mean there is anything wrong with it, just a matter of taste.

 

[draon9]

To me their personal life is a wreck and they are ignoring it

 

[Saturnal Snowqueen]

Interesting painting...I think this is an ode to forbidden knowledge. The girl wants to see what lies in the hot air balloon, but it is blocked off by ice and rock. The girl wants to learn more, but she is not allowed so she is hiding the book behind her back. She is also fading away slower then her(presumably) sister, because the sister is less interested in knowledge and is thus burning the books. The books looks like they could be history books(looks like there's a historical figure with some information about them underneath). There's also a Chia Pet looking thing, which is like an ancient statue being forgotten and overgrown. Outside the statue is a city, just your average modern city. There isn't the same blockade as there is to the air balloon, just a regular old gate. There's a portrait of a woman on the wall, but it's become very tiny and overcome by a peaceful sky. There is also the ship, which I think could represent the Titanic(a dark part of history) and also the flooding of the library.