Today (Sunday, June 20th) I went into Manhattan to check out the library, Border’s Books, and eat. After accomplishing those tasks, I got a gut feeling to head back to my room in Jersey City.
To get to and from New York City from New Jersey, one takes the PATH Train which is basically a subway. The ride is pleasant for the most part and on the weekends there’s a chance to get to sit down. This was one such weekend.
While sitting there, an elderly man sat down beside me. He asked me what I was reading (a book on communication) and we got to talking. I told him how I was in New York on an internship and he told me about his career before he retired. I showed him some of my drawings and he said that I may be interested in something. He pulled out a card from his wallet and gave it to me.
The card was for a book named “The Monuments Men.” His name is Harry Ettlinger and he told me that the subject of the book was how a group of soldiers were tasked to retrieve great works of art from Nazi thieves after World War II. Harry said he was the last living person from his particular group that was involved in this act and I can read about him in the book. Because of his role in this event in history, he now travels around the country telling his stories to high schools, colleges, and veterans.
Harry spoke of the importance of this act, how this effort has great significance in our history and our lives. These seemingly lost works of art were found and given back to the world. Our conversation was short but intriguing and I’m glad to have met him.
We like to say how great cultures have great art. Harry’s story puts such phrases into perspective. What role does our art have in our lives and to what extent are we willing to let go of it if it’s been taken from us? True art, in my opinion, is not only great communication but a reflection of the society that created it. Much of what we know about history is linked to their artistic representations of their culture. This is interesting. I bet some of those artists never thought that people hundreds of years from their time would look at their work as a link to their civilization. It makes me think about what will be said about our own culture.
So whose work will represent us? Which works will be chosen? I think comic strips are an interesting medium in that they speak of our culture, sometimes in intimate detail. They may not be works of art on the level of the great masters but they have impacted our lives and reflect our beliefs and customs. They’re kind of like cave drawings and hieroglyphics in that way, only funnier.
