Schindler’s List
Created by Raffe P., Nathan Q., Tommy B. & Arthur F.
True stories of people who risked everything to save Jewish people, including Oskar Schindler who saved over 1,000 lives (1939-1945)
The Savior
Artist Statement
Our art project is about Oskar Schindler, The man who went from being a Nazi spy to using his influence to save over 1,000 Jews all during the span of WWII. Oskar Schindler began as a Nazi party member, which meant that they were responsible for hurting many Jewish people. However, later in life, Oskar Schindler helped save many Jews from being killed. Therefore, I wanted to represent Oskar Schindler's story using colors and symbols that represent his transition from being a Nazi to becoming an ally to the Jewish people.
In our art project, I have represented Oskar Schindler as black on one side and white on the other. On the black side, there is a red symbol of the Nazi party, called the swastika, which represents the Nazis and the atrocities they did Jewish people, separating them from the rest of the world.. The color black represents darkness, sadness, and danger. It represents one of the darkest periods in history when the Nazis were in charge and were responsible for causing people everlasting pain.
On the right, I colored it white with a blue Star of David. The Star of David is a symbol of the Jewish people. White is a symbol of peace, hope, and new beginnings. The right side of my art represents the good change that happened and the hope that people can have, even after something bad happened.
The middle part is gray. I colored it gray to represent the in-between time of the change. Gray is not black and not white. So, it represents Oskar Schindler’s transition from something bad to something good. It represents that change is not always easy, but it is possible, Schindler says multiple times he changed because he couldn't stand watching the pain, hate and suffering that the Nazis were causing to Jewish people. Another reason the gray area fits so well into our project is because during his life he was neither good or bad he did many dark things but redeemed himself at the end of WWII
I have chosen these colors and symbols very carefully, as they convey the message without the use of many words. The contrast between black and white represents the enormity of the change that Schindler underwent. The symbols clearly indicate what each of them represents. The design is intended to facilitate easy understanding of the message conveyed by my art work.
The purpose of undertaking this project was to encourage people to think about the possibility of an individual changing, despite the fact that they may have been engaged in bad things. The story of Schindler is very crucial, as it shows that one can always opt to do good, despite it being difficult.
This project was a challenge, it made us spend countless hours working on the tiniest details, which even then weren't perfected, but it was also really interesting. I had to think about how I could use colors and shapes to tell this complicated story. The artifact made us tell another part of history which would be much harder to explain without making our artifact.
I hope that my art will help people remember that even though things are dark, there is always a chance for light and hope. I want my art to help people remember how important it is to stand up for what is right and help others. Schindler’s story is a way of showing how a person can make a difference and change the world for the better.
In conclusion, my art is a way of telling Oskar Schindler’s story of how he went from being a Nazi to saving the Jewish people through the use of colors and symbols. We then surrounded our colors and symbols using other principles of design and art such as contrast and movement. It is a way of reminding people that change is possible and that hope can come from dark places.
