
The feeling of freedom is unlike any other, from the idea that the whole world is an empty canvas waiting for you to paint your own picture, to the simplicity of waking up every day knowing you are in control of yourself.  Freedom is what keeps the average individual optimistic and hopeful about each waking moment of the day.  Understanding and appreciating the privilege of freedom is important in further understanding the feeling of living each and every day without it. The Berlin Wall, for example, was an iconic symbol of holding back the freedom from the citizens who lived within it.  The sense of knowing each moment could be spent more openly, fresher, and vaster is not a sense the average person is compulsive to feel. 

An eye-opening image within the street art of the Berlin Wall is that of the chains and shackle attached to an arm reaching out of a prison cell.  This representation of being locked up, without any chance to experience the world around the perimeter of a cold and small room is rather alarming.  On the other hand, the opposite side of the chain is attached to a wrecking ball of sorts and is creating a freeing visualization.  This wrecking ball in the form of a rose gives off the feeling of hope and heightened spirits.  The shackle and chain from left to right start off with a claustrophobic and suffocating sense of captivity, but then works its way towards an open and beautiful image of promise.  This contradiction of itself shows that there can be light found in even the darkest places.

The use of the color red cannot be mistaken.  The thought of fear, hatred, and death often come to mind when told to think of this color in context.  The artist of the painting on the Berlin Wall perhaps wanted to go bold and catch the eye of those viewing his work by emphasizing the commonly seen color.  Contrary to the thoughts of fear and hatred, the color red portrayed in this image is showing the love that was once had of freedom, but was taken away when the person behind the cell bars was locked up. The red fades into white as the love is finally lost, but is found again in the red rose wrecking ball being used to destroy the wall that keeps others away from the freedom most seek.  

A hand in this image coming out of the bared off window is showing a “peace sign” with its fingers representing the feeling of hope, that maybe one-day freedom will be regained.  Hope is what keeps the mind pushing forward when there is nothing left to push.  Hope can be a dangerous thing, but without hope there is no true reason to keep on trying to make it day after day.  If there is nothing that one is trying to live for, then what’s the point of living?  The harshness that comes to mind when asked that question is sometimes blinding when trying to figure out an answer.  But when it comes down to it, even if the reason is small or large, most people are able to find something that gives them hope.  Whether its hoping that you receive a raise, or hoping that your favorite sports team wins the big game.  Hope is always what surrounds us and keeps us going. 

The innocence of the dove carrying the wrecking ball in this image softens the tone of the overall message.  That message being that someone is locked up with no freedom trying to be optimistic.  The dove gives off the obvious sense of freedom, but also desire.  The desire to climb that wall and get to the other side with blue skies and a bright sun. When thinking of a dove the first thing that comes to mind is perhaps a wedding with doves being released into the air, or the ending of a happy movie when the character finally gets what they were seeking out.  This dove on the contrary is being shown in the context of breaking down a wall, in the hope of trying to get to the other side.

The breaking down of the wall is the most significant visualization in the image that the artist is portraying.  The crumbling wall in this image is symbolizing the conquering of one’s fear of being locked up, without freedom for the rest of their life.  The fact that this image happens to be on the Berlin Wall is all the more symbolic being that the Berlin Wall has become a symbol of fear and hatred itself.  Fear is something that can keep someone locked behind a door that would open to a better life and a more wide-open future.  Once that fear is conquered, the opportunities and rewards that will present themselves to you will be well worth the effort.

The dove carrying the wrecking ball has its head held high in front of a bright sun.  This symbolizes that no matter what is weighing someone down, there is always a reason to be optimistic.  When faced with adversity there is the option to shrivel up and give in, but what many don’t realize is that there is another option that involves pushing through the pain and reaching the overall goal no matter the given circumstance.  The dove in this image is carrying a wrecking ball and giving itself and others the chance to have freedom.  The dove is pushing through the pain and putting itself in the position to succeed.

The artist that created this extraordinary image went into full detail in sending many different messages that could be interpreted in vastly different ways.  Ultimately, that’s the true beauty of a painting.  A perspective someone has when analyzing an image is like a snowflake, there are no two that are identical.  No matter how closely a point of view may be to another, it is personal and has its own meaning to every person that develops one.  With that said, the meaning of freedom can be seen in many different ways, it all just depends on how you look at it. 
