As we've discovered and learned over the past few weeks, Life on Mars isn't meant to be about outer space and aliens, as much as it is about the human condition.  My own interpretation of the human condition may vary from others, but I think one particular piece of work captures what it means to be human perfectly. As soon as I started learning about the topic, I looked through the pieces online and a particular one by Fredrich Kunath caught my eye. When I got to see it up close Friday, it took my breath away.
    Now when I state that Kunath's Untitled (2007/2008) took my breath away, you could almost say it wasn't in a positive way. Isolation and pain were two of the first things that I felt when looking at the piece-- two emotions that we have all felt at times, no matter how wonderful you believe your life to be. The man in the photo looks as if he is walking into the distance, where a "broken home" lies waiting, and in his hands he bears the weight of two bags--one in each arm. His use of sharp detail and lines cause a stressed, tired feeling, yet the soft colors of the background provide the ever-exsisting idea of hope.
   Now while it may seem far from the topic of art, I refer to a quote from Jim Morrison (The Doors) when I think of pain and the human condition.
    “People are afraid of themselves, of their own reality; their feelings most of all. People talk about how great love is, but that's [crap]. Love hurts. Feelings are disturbing. People are taught that pain is evil and dangerous. How can they deal with love if they're afraid to feel? Pain is meant to wake us up. People try to hide their pain. But they're wrong. Pain is something to carry, like a radio. You feel your strength in the experience of pain. It's all in how you carry it. That's what matters. Pain is a feeling. Your feelings are a part of you. Your own reality. If you feel ashamed of them, and hide them, you're letting society destroy your reality. You should stand up for your right to feel your pain.”
   I believe that Kunath's piece, along with a lot of the pieces in the exhibit follow along with this quote, as the artists (in their own ways) present the living, breathing reality around us. They don't sugar-coat reality for the viewer, such as in Cavemanman, and inspire us to face reality with open arms.  After all-- "we can't change the cards we are dealt, only how we play them." (Randy Pausch)

-Jo