My visit to the Blanton Museum

Note: I choose an artwork and wrote down my interpretations. Then, I compared my interpretations to the poem's one. 

Title of Artwork: Oil Field Girls

The phenomenal artwork, Oil Field Girls, have a deep background behind it. Jerry Bywaters’ artwork was one of the artworks that captured my interest. When I first saw the painting, I tried to dig deeper and analyze every aspect of it. First, I noticed the two women, with glamorous looks, standing on a roadside. I asked myself, “For whom are they waiting for?”

            Looking at how the two women dressed, I interpreted that they were prostitutes. The two stylish women were dressed as they were waiting for men to pick them up; they wore high heels, bracelets, and had their make-up on. I wonder why were they standing in a place that had oil fields. I believe that the Bywaters used the oil fields to symbolize money. Basically, prostitutes usually receive their money by getting with men from different places; they move from one place to another.

         

           Observing the poem that was related to the artwork, I realized that the Del Marie Rogers had a similar interpretation.  She believes that the two women were prostitutes. In her poem, Rogers says, “Impossible, now, to live your life in a single place to call it home.” I think she meant the two women were moving around different places, acting as prostitutes, and received their money.  I believe that her poem has an excellent explanation of what the painting portrays, but it still didn’t expand my understanding of it.