Media, advertisements, pictures, and artwork play a distinct role in how the population interprets the various pieces of work. After touring the Columbia Museum of Art, the interpretation of James Williams “Cartography Series No.10: Making New Connection (No. 2),” is open to any meaning. People are then allowed to utilize their imagination and allow the artwork to come to life according to their perception of the painting. I argue that this painting represents a separation within a town with the roads, represented by the black lines, reconnecting the two distinct sides of the town. Overall, this painting uses colors, lines, and extraordinary shapes to allow viewers interpretation to run wild with what is given in the painting.

The painting by Williams uses many different colors and shapes to divide the painting into different sections. However, his use of different thicknesses for the black lines symbolizes the roads running throughout the town, and the major separation of the two sides. The bold black line running vertically down the middle of the paper is the main separation of the town, which can symbolize the poor versus the wealthy side; however, there is a connection between the two sides. The thinner black lines are functioning as the roads that connect both sides. All of the roads are placed where they are because they show how easily you can get from one side of the town to the other by only taking one road. Although each of the roads end up in different places, they all lead to the opposite side of the town than where one was starting from. Williams uses the black lines and different thickness to show the division and ironically the connection between the two different sides of the painting.

The use of vibrant and dark colors in Williams painting is used to show the contrast on each side of the bold, black line going through the middle of the artwork. The bright colors that are in eccentric shapes can symbolize the houses or neighborhoods on each side of the town. The majority of the colors on the right side of the painting are warm colors, such as red, yellow, and pink. While on the other hand, most of the colors left of the bold black line are cool colors, such as blue and green, with a couple of warms colors mixed throughout. The division of colors represents the division of rich versus poor in the town. The right side of the painting is the wealthier side of the town because it is smaller, consists of mostly warm colors, and very few dark colors. On the contrary, the left side of the town would be considered the not so wealthy, or high end part of the town. The left side contains many cool colors with a great deal of chaotic shapes and colors mixed together. The chaos with the shapes and colors directly correlates to the chaos that occurs in an underprivileged town. Through the use of colors, Williams demonstrates the differentiation between the right and left side of the town, and how chaos and control can be so far, yet so close together.

In the middle of Williams painting, towards the left side, there is a large, abnormal mass of blue color. Many people may perceive this blue mass as a pond or lake. This body of water can symbolize the freedom and prosperity of the people of the less fortunate side of town. Also, there is only one black line or road running through it and not stopping while all of the other black lines are going around it. The mass of water allows for the more chaotic side of the painting to find peace in something on their side of the town without having distractions or effects from the wealthier, less chaotic side of town. On the other hand, there is nothing similar to that one the right side of the painting. This exhibits the imbalance of the painting, and through the deeper interpretation, the town.

Numerous types of media, including artwork and advertisements, require members of society to use their mind to interpret the in depth meaning behind the piece of art. While exploring the Columbia Museum of Art, I came across a painting by James Williams called, “Cartography Series No. 10: Making New Connection (No. 2).” This piece of artwork was so different than anything I had ever seen and allowed my imagination to take off. After viewing the picture, one can realize that the lines, colors, and strange shapes looked like a town with the black lines being the roads running to and from each side. The use of vivid colors, lines, and odd shapes led my imagination to see Williams painting as a town that displayed separation, yet connection all at once.
