On my new website, you may see several images sliding through the home page, and one of these images is called, “The Periodic Table of Hate and Intolerance.”
I created a video that allows you to understand the meaning behind the artwork, and its process of creating this artwork. This video comes with captions, and please click the CC at the lower right corner. Enjoy viewing!
The Periodic Table of Hate and Intolerance
At first glance, this is an ordinary poster you’d find in your high school’s chemistry class, the kind your cardigan-cloaked professor plasters on his wall as a daily reminder of your elements. But look closer and you’ll see this is not your average periodic table, and has hidden messages designed to bring out your very real feelings in today’s political climate. Start at the top, the bold blood red colors highlight the strongest emotions such as Fear (Fe) and Hate (H) before it trickles down to different color blocks in close association. Fear and Hate leads to Xenophobia (Xe) and White Supremacy (Ws) which leads to Genocide (Ge) and a myraid of racial slurs deeply rooted in the strongest emotions. The Legend Key colors (top right) operate as a guide to walk you through the variety of “isms,” cycles of oppression, hate groups and more. Connect the dots (or in this case, the blocks) and learn how we came to the world we have today full of hate and intolerance. Study the chart and you’ll see history repeating itself using the same elements. You’ll walk away with the tools to recognize it today, through your news sources, your workplace environment and organized groups.
For those who paid attention in chemistry class, you’ll remember the bottom row of the periodic table of elements consists of compounds that neutralizes the above elements. Artist, Amy Cohen Efron offers a hopeful message with counteraction strategies that will neutralize/dissolve the wide range of hate and intolerance. Acceptance (Ac), Understanding (Un) and Love (Lv), in due time, will restore all.
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