Shades of grey

After not writing for weeks, I turn to this blog to procrastinate while I should be studying for finals. Hopefully these few minutes of reflection will revitalize me and enable me to study harder. Thanks Mr. Blog for a higher accounting grade!

I continue to be impressed with my classmates. They are not only accomplished in the business world, but in other spheres of life as well. Last week, one of my classmates gave a talk on art. Her story especially interested me because it dealt with the intersection of art and politics, a subject I've discussed many times with my art history friends. She traveled to the South Pacific and painted entrepreneurs who had been granted loans by a microfinance institution. What was the outcome of this project? In addition to garnering support for this particular microfinance organization, she alluded to a much more powerful effect that she hoped for her art to have. To paraphrase, she said that artists can present a subject in black and white so that we may ultimately understand the shades of grey. By using hyperbole that highlights a hidden aspect of reality, the artist reminds us that reality is more complex than we lead ourselves to believe. Art allows us to see those aspects of reality that are not immediately evident at first glance.

That was refreshing... I'm off to study!