Journal 5
In my opinion, the statue is telling us that you need strength and perseverance to get through the toughest of trials. I base my opinion on the following interpretations:
The “trial” is the wall the beings are attempting/not attempting to go through. The length of the piece of metal represents a wall because the ratio of wall height to human height seems to be approximately that of the statues. The metal mesh at the stop of the wall is just undermining the difficulty of the trial. Metal mesh, or what could be seen as barbed wire is what makes things so difficult.
Furthermore, I believe that it is strength that is needed to get through the toughest of trials because the beings (or what represent man) seem to be either trying or not. Two of the beings seem to be trying to push through the wall, and the muscles only accentuate that. The other two being seem to be more laid back, not really trying nor caring. They also seem rather defeated. The defeated beings are a representation of the human spirit abandoning its perseverance.
I would define the tone as “strong” and “outspoken”. The strength is determined by the muscles showing on the beings. The muscles are so strongly highlighted on the being that you can’t mistake them as muscles. Also, muscles are an representation of strength. The outspoken tone is brought forth through the color. There is no light color on the work of art, just dark, rough colors that really stand out.
Overall, the statue may lead us to conclude (depending on one’s interpretation) that the toughest of trials can be overcome through the most adamant of perseverance. Anything is accomplishable if one is willing to put the strength and thought into it. Defeat is not a feeling one wants to experience, and if a person does experience defeat, it is by their own choice. We all have the chance to make things work for ourselves.