On the unforgettable morning of December 14th 2015, over seven hundred energetic elementary schoolers steadily paraded into Sandy Hook Elementary School, ignorant to the disturbing events soon to rob them of their innocence. After killing his mother, Adam Lanza found his way to the school and swiftly began to ignite chaos. Before law enforcement could discharge their own weapons, Adam Lanza took his own life, but only after taking the lives of twenty children and six adults. The piece above, created by the independent Sally Meding, was crafted in memorial of the Sandy Hook tragedy. The painting’s simplistic design carries intricate meaning and by looking at the painting’s combination of color and subject, we can see that the occurrence of such a tragic heartbreak is significant because of its ability to revive the contest for the preservation of youthful innocence. 

As the painting possesses minimal intense change in color, and instead includes gradual changes in hue, the importance of each of its distinct colors are amplified. To begin, perhaps the most noticeable of the colors were the monochromatic blues that filled the painting’s negative space. The beginning of the subject’s path is permeated by shades of blue and white as this is symbolic of the purity of the subject before the disturbing events of that morning. At large, children have been established as the fundamental representation for innocence within humanity, an ideal that further clarifies their delicately colored beginnings. Though, steadily, the white and baby blue hues transition to darker blues and eventually black. This approach towards the dimmer blues could embody the notion of the gradually demise of time leading up to the tragic incident. However, outside of the Sandy Hook crisis, the progressive transition to the darker values could symbolize the continual loss of innocence in humans as they are, little by little, exposed to both the horrors and truths of life. Moreover, as a color in general, blue commands a variety of interpretations ranging from sadness and youth, to wisdom and depression. Meding is particular in taking advantage of such an ideal as she is knowledgeable about the truths of blue and its capacity to encompass all of the moods expedient to such a tragedy. Furthermore, the yellow tint surrounding the subject is purposeful and therefore viewed as significant. Yellow is a color of happiness, light, and optimism; and in context of tragedy, the yellow glow of the subject could demonstrate the positivity that continually remains amidst following a gloomy and uncertain path. Perhaps there is a small glimpse of cheerfulness that children never lose, and in turn, carry into adulthood. Moreover, as pink is a color of sensitivity and tenderness, the figure itself being clothed in a light pink dress seems to be less than coincidence. Full of youth, the subject is traveling through the woes of life; and despite this, the subject retains their gentle and kind nature, as children do. However, the black outline of the subject contrasts with this concept. Black is a color that often symbolizes mourning, darkness, and fear. Therefore, in the same way that children carry a glint of happiness with them throughout their lifetimes, they also remain in an ongoing state of dread brought on by the ambiguity of the what lies ahead. This ideal seems to verify that fear lies in uncertainty, a concept programmed into humanity since its establishment. In addition, a subtle yet eye catching single red line runs almost halfway down the length of the painting. As this line could have several explanations, its first symbolic interpretation could be that it is emblematic of the bloodshed within the tragic event. Twenty clean-handed children were senselessly stripped of their lives along with six adults who were fighting to preserve youthful innocence. The red of the line is highly contrasted against the dark blue of the negative space, in which further highlights Meding’s desire to make such a statement known. Each color that was included in the painting was purposeful and thus held to a certain esteem. Overall, the meaning of each color individually contributes to the global importance of the painting.

The conception of a girl subject could as well be another element of importance in the construction of this painting. And although we cannot see the subject’s face due to the fact that they are walking away, it could be deduced that the subject is a young girl due to her lengthy hair, short stature, and femininely pink dress. Also notable is the fact that there were more girl victims than boy victims killed in the tragedy, as this could additionally be a motive for Meding’s selection of a girl subject. Traditionally, girls are seen as more delicate and elegant than their male counterparts. Therefore, this ideal emphasizes the notion of the transformative journey that children take in their spans towards adulthood, especially girls. The subject is off-centered within the painting which makes her journey towards the darkness seems evermore off in the distance. As girls travel through a realm of vulnerability and male-dominance, they consequently endure through prolonged treks whilst moving towards maturity. In addition, the painting does also include a smaller and therefore second in regard subject: a candle at the feet of the girl. Generally, candles represent tranquility and peace. In context, this candle could also represent vigil, in its demonstration of religious ties to certain elements and interpretations of the piece. The presence of the candle, with its display of serenity, could represent God how He provides light throughout all dark paths of uncertainty. Meding mindfully incorporates a little girl and her candle, as both subjects collectively contributes to the painting’s overall theme of youthful innocence.

The tragic events of Sandy Hook sparked countless emotions, and with the painting’s inclusion of color and subject, Meding strove to capture all of those emotions in her work. From the blues to the yellows and the reds, Meding was enabled to portray the significance of such an event, to the beliefs of a nation. The Sandy Hook tragedy reignited the country’s debate not only on mass shootings, but also on the conservation of child innocence. As children continue to represent the purity of mankind, humanity will continue to make strides towards maintaining its presence.
