The Pinch of Poverty

Questions for blog:
1. What are the major contributing factors to poverty?
2. How does this artist portray poverty?
3. What is the artist's message about poverty?
4. Identify and explain two elements of art that enhance the message.

My responses:
1. Some of the factors that contribute to poverty are the lack of money, housing, food, and most of the things people need for survival (a job, for instance).
2. The artist portrays poverty negatively because he uses dark colors in the setting and in the people's clothing.  Also, the expressions on the members of the family are sad and discouraging.  All of these things combined create a rather morbid scene.
3. The artist's message about poverty is that no matter how innocent a family or person is, poverty can affect anyone.
4. (1) The artist uses mostly black, white, and gray colors.  This signifies the gloominess of poverty that the artist is trying to point out.
    (2) The artist makes most of the people in the picture look sickly, which makes them appear to be very helpless and vulnerable.  This shows the innocence of the people who are in poverty in the picture.