Erika Balogh
THE POWER OF COLORS AND SYMBOLISM
My bi-cultural background has greatly shaped my identity and
influenced my artwork as well. When I moved to the United States, I
left behind a traditional part of my life associated with my Hungarian
heritage, my childhood memories, and my family. I entered into an
utterly different culture; a more modern and eclectic society that
completely changed my life. However, aspects of my Hungarian
traditions continue to form my artwork and my self-presentation.
Through my artworks, I explore the power of colors and symbolism. The
five-pointed star, the pentagram, is a well-recognized symbol all
around the world. It has been used by many companies as a trademark or
as a symbol on numerous national flags.
My research interest include social and economic disparity, exploitation, alienation, and exploring alternatives to capitalism. In this artwork the five-pointed star represents a utopian society. The red star is a well-recognized symbol of communism. This form of socioeconomic system is a brilliant ideology, however, in reality it seems impossible to organize society. Each pentagram inscribed in a pentagon represents an individual with distinctive characteristics as they come together to generate a greater whole – a unity. But there is no perfect unity, as it is not possible to form a tiling using pentagons.