Throughout Yorktown, the halls are covered with works of art painted by Yorktown’s students. These paintings range from being light and amusing to tackling difficult subject matters such as gender identity. The following list contains what we consider to be the ten best paintings from throughout Yorktown.
(Note: None of these paintings have titles posted alongside them, so no titles listed here are official.)
Number Ten: Aurora Borealis by Stuart Landis
Directly by the entrance to the third floor Chemistry hallway, there is a painting by Yorktown Alum Stuart Landis which depicts a country house by the lake underneath the Northern Lights. The painting is done beautifully, with the color selection of dark greens and browns which juxtapose perfectly with the vibrant pastels of the Northern Lights. The water in the lake itself is also painted brilliantly, its texture accentuated by the reflection of the lights overhead. Altogether, the scene featured in the painting is both beautiful and serene.
Number Nine: Crabbing by Madeleine Hardy
Madeleine Hardy’s Crabbing is located directly on the second floor by the main staircase. The large painting features two young boys standing on a boat pulling a crab trap out of the water, with a cliff dotted with houses and forest in the background. The painting is done in a style that is both simplistic and detailed, the shading of the water perhaps being its most impressive feature. For many, the painting likely evokes memories of summers spent in lake or beach towns. Overall, the painting is a beautiful work of art that makes its viewers both happy and nostalgic.
Number Eight: The March by Julia Sachs
The March by Julia Sachs is a painting that expresses themes of change, determination and joy. The scene depicted in the painting shows a crowd of marchers whose expressions range from rejoicing smiles to glances of fortitude. Those who have participated in a march or demonstration will likely feel an instant connection to what The March attempts to portray, as it effectively conveys the feelings of conviction and action which are so common in marches of all kinds. The March, located just around the corner from Patriot Hall, is truly able to express the essence of any demonstration.
Number Seven: Psychedelic Faces (Artist Name Unknown)
On the third floor of Yorktown, right outside the door to the older bathrooms, painted onto a wooden board, there is an almost surreal painting of three stretched and distorted faces. The painting is nearly psychedelic, primarily utilizing reds, yellows, greens and blues, with the occasional splotch of black. The faces themselves are almost pear-shaped, wearing earrings through pierced green ears with colorful bands around their necks. The melange of vivid colors, however, is truly what makes the painting so remarkable, tying the entire work together into one that is both surreal and dreamlike.
Number Six: Blue Rowers by Kalina Newman
In what seems to be a homage to the Yorktown Crew team, Blue Rowers by Kalina Newman is as aesthetically-pleasing as it is beautiful. The color blue is used thoroughly throughout the painting, appearing in the water, the paint on the boat’s hull, the tips of the oars, and on the uniforms of the rowers themselves. In fact, practically the only part of the painting that is not some shade of blue is the skin of the rowers themselves, which does not necessarily stand out, but rather blends in beautifully with the rest of the scene. This painting, placed just outside of the Gym, is another instance of beautifully painted water, with realistic texture being given just with a few simple lines. The painting is especially impressive due to Newman’s ability to create contrast between different shades of blue through the use of detailed shading patterns, altogether creating a magnificent, blue world.
Number Five: Cube by Jake Gonzalez
Of all of the paintings on this list, Cube is easily the most simplistic, and perhaps the most aesthetically-pleasing. The abstract painting, while difficult to describe, features a black cube adorned with bright orange rectangles placed within a blue landscape. While the piece is simple and minimalistic, many small artistic touches make it very interesting to look at; such as the cube’s reflection in the surface beneath it, the long and horizontal shadow that it casts to its right, and the thick white line that juts out from the background to its left side. While not having any clear subject matter, Cube is a painting that is quite pleasing to look at.
Number Four: Still I Rise (Artist Name Unknown)
Located on the second floor outside the door to the women’s bathroom, Still I Rise is an homage to African American culture composed of multiple canvas boards, each containing a segment of the Maya Angelou poem Still I Rise as well as a section of a collage in the shape of an Afro. Still I Rise, the poem, is one about African American identity and empowerment, the themes of which are amplified by the artist’s collage. The collage itself features black-and-white cutouts of logos, newspaper articles, and other memorabilia that celebrate the advancement and culture of African Americans in American society. Reading the poem, accompanied by the collage, is a surprisingly moving experience; to stop and read is certainly worth the time.
Number Three: Beard of Bees by Sofia Scott
Beard of Bees is not just beautifully painted, it’s incredibly aesthetically pleasing, too. The painting, located on the first floor next to the auditorium entrance, features a man with a beard made entirely of bees standing in front of a yellow background. The painting also makes use of a vivid shade of turquoise, causing the man’s jacket, hair and eyes to all stand out in a way that is quite complementary to the overwhelming yellow. While the painting does not have (apparent) meaning, it is still a joy to look at.
Number Two: Meditating on the Highway (Artist Name Unknown)
Meditating on the Highway is a work of art that every Yorktown student should stop to look at at least once. The painting, located in the hallway to the left of the lunchroom, shows a man meditating with his legs crossed in the middle of a desert highway. The style in which it is painted is beautiful, utilizing smooth brush strokes throughout the entire scene. Showing a man who is completely calm in such a potentially dangerous situation communicates themes of safety, serenity, and peace, themes which should resonate throughout any school. While Meditating on the Highway might go unnoticed by many, it is a wonderful addition to Yorktown’s art collection.
Number One: But That’s None of My Business by Elis F.
The oldest (and best) painting on this list was painted by a student named Elis F. in 1993. The painting depicts Kermit the Frog sitting at a table with a cup of tea and a jar of sugar directly in front of him. Perhaps the best thing about this painting is the laughable irony of Kermit being painted alongside a cup of tea almost two decades before the image of Kermit drinking tea would go viral. The time-travelling pop culture reference isn’t the only thing that this piece has going for it, though. In addition to being a strangely accurate precursor to a meme of the future, the painting itself is painted in a beautiful and realistic style, with Kermit looking as animated as he did on The Muppets. Tucked away in the back of the third floor Chemistry hallway, But That’s None of My Business is a true hidden gem; seeing it should be on any student’s bucket list.
