Art With a Futuristic Theme

The drawing of Muhammad Ali is very similar to an image of one of the most famous boxing matches of all time, Ali vs. Sonny Liston. Ali stands tall, towering over and looking down at his opponent after delivering a punishing knockout punch. The main difference in this drawing is that instead of Muhammad Ali fighting Sonny Liston, he is fighting a gorilla, a robot gorilla. This robot gorilla symbolizes two things that the artist is trying to communicate. One the gorilla is an obvious racial slur; racism is everywhere in the time period of this fight. It took place in 1965, during the Civil Rights Movement, when more and more people began to listen and follow the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the ones that didn’t grew more and more loathsome towards the black race. The image depicts the gorilla literally with its head knocked off. This suggests that Ali has beaten racism, or more killed racism, the goal of the Civil Rights Movement. The image is also a black and white for obvious reason: to enhance the idea of the black and white feud. Two the gorilla is not an ordinary gorilla, it is a robot. Robots are a generic symbol of the future. Now that the robot, or future, is destroyed, what or who can be called the future? This suggests that Muhammad Ali is the future of boxing (which can be backed up by his record at the time) and that he is the greatest but at the same time viewed as the worst.

The ray gun is innovative and futuristic, yet at the same time old fashioned and cumbersome. It is crafted of hand forged metal, brass, and glass, giving a crude appearance. It is similar in size to that of a rifle, suggesting that they will someday be used in wars. Although a ray gun doesn’t actually exist, who’s to say that won’t in the near future? It is similar to a musket in that it is the first design for such a weapon. Once invented the musket paved the way for the fire arms we have today. The artist is trying to communicate that the world is at the beginning of a new day and age. We are so close to technological advancement but are still far behind. When we do catch up though, it will pave the way for newer things that are now unimaginable.
These two works of art communicate similar ideas and also different ideas; they both share a central futuristic theme. Although the drawing of Muhammad Ali is based on the fight that took place in the sixties, the robot that he is fighting ties in the central theme. The robot simply stands for the advancements in culture such as defeating “racism” and becoming the most “now” in the boxing world. The ray gun is more literal in its futuristic theme because, well, it’s a ray gun. Ray guns are associated with aliens and Star Wars, therefore being an epitome of futuristic symbols. It also stands for advancements in culture but in a technological way. The artists of these two works obviously share similar ideas in that their works both compare past to present by showing something new.

The drawing of Muhammad Ali and the ray gun both demonstrate the futuristic theme but in different ways, and they also have other themes attached to them. For instance the drawing of Ali presents a future that is now the past for you and me. It is also different because of the actual story behind the Ali vs. Liston fight. Ali knocked out Liston with a powerful combination in the first round, and stood above his opponent, looking down and yelling “Get up! Get up!” This image presents a theme of pride and victory, nothing to do with a ray gun whatsoever. The ray gun on the other hand symbolizes a future that is still yet to come. Just by looking at the ray gun one can tell that it obviously doesn’t work, but that is not the point to this work of art. It suggests that society is rapidly making technological advancements and that we could be well on our way to inventing such a ray gun or even something more advanced. Think back to the first car; it was crude and cumbersome but it was still the first car. It just takes time to develop technology.

Having never been to an art exhibit, overall I think it was a good experience in that instead of reading books or essays, I could analyze art and learn about the ideas that the artists are trying to communicate. The two works of art that I chose to analyze definitely provoked my thoughts and made me think deeply about their meanings. The Muhammad Ali photo has always been one of my favorite sports photos because it makes me feel proud, victorious, and fulfilled, and is a reminder to never give up. When I first saw the ray gun I had no idea what to think, but as I walked slowly around the exhibit its meaning began to form in my mind. It made me think about what will happen in the next fifty years. It also made me feel as if I and the rest of my generation are to bring new things to the world. For the rest of the works of art at the exhibit, not all of their meanings jumped out instantly and were somewhat vague, but others were clearly presented. I’m not a huge fan of going out to art exhibits and examining works, but it is something different and it’s a great way to communicate ideas.