Not only is this piece pleasant to look at but it is also filled with a great deal of meaning. It is clear to the audience that Anguspaul had a vision and message in mind when he was painting The Holdouts. This work features an older couple in the foreground with a cityscape in the background. The couple has their back to the city both literally and figuratively- they are “holding out” against the city’s modernization and consequent corruption. As they stand among the yellow wheat with their simple home behind them, the city symbolizes everything that threatens the couple’s old, traditional way of life. Within the city limits lies corruption and sin. If the viewer looks closely into the fictional city they will find not-so-hidden messages. Among the businesses illustrated are bars, strip clubs, and even one establishment named “Shady’s”. The Holdouts illustrates a universal idea that the world is moving much too fast and that we will always look back to a better, more simpler time.
Click below for the artist’s audio commentary.
[vimeo 58503669 w=500 h=281]
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