ICON

When you think of the word icon, what comes to your brain? Literally, what is the very foremost thought that you can imagine and what does that vision entail? Do you think of a specific person, maybe a musical artist such as, Madonna to be exact. Do you think of a painting like that of Vincent Van Gogh's which was thought to have been so magnificent that it has endured throughout centuries? Maybe you think of a particular place, for example, the tomb that Jesus has risen from. What I envision an icon to be is a person, place, or thing that will remain valid, forever enduring, and always consistent in every new era to come. An icon is a person or thing that can be seen in any regard as holding some type of symbolism in society. Madonna, for example, is first and foremost, a singer, but is also a songwriter, actress, and is her own boss when it comes to business. Madonna has paved the way for so many other artists and is nothing short of iconic. She has held numerous number one titles in music and her edgy and trendy style sense is still current in today's society. Many of today's artists give Madonna credibility when asked whom they were influenced by. Not only has she become the mother of pop music, but is still valid and accepted in today's society. Another iconic legend is Vincent Van Gogh. Even though Gogh has long since past, his art works are studied, copied, portrayed, and held up to very high standards in the art community. Many people aspire to paint and draw the way he has done and his works are still being seeked out today. The art Van Gogh has produced in his time are used as examples in today's classrooms and his paintings are placed in museums for people to study, examine, and admire. Another icon that still has a large impact on today's mainstream society is Beethoven. Although Beethoven was born in the 1700's, his musical genius still endures and lives on today. Anyone can find Beethoven's impact on today's generations through looking at the musical classes offered in schools, museums/ historical venues, and by wandering into cubs of the elite. Beethoven's music is almost seen as sacred by the way it is cherished and passed down from one generation to the next. His musical talents have influenced many in the music industry and have even been seen as beneficial in the science field. Beethoven's works are still being cultivated today and will be in the future to come.

My main reason for choosing the three icons I have, Madonna, Vincent Van Gogh, and Beethoven, is because these people have been seen as almost misunderstood in the beginning of their careers, but are now viewed as absolute icons. The icons I have chosen had to make a way for themselves in the industry they chose. They were not so much welcomed into their passion, but paved the way for themselves and did not apologize for doing so. After they broke down the doors, they continued onward to create works that were seen in the past as well as the present as magnificent. Each icon holds some sort of standing in today's society that deeply impacts our culture. Children today are listening to Madonna's music, creating copies of Van Gogh's artworks in their classrooms, and developing an ear for fascinating sounds and rhythms in middle and high schools around the globe. These people are icons because they are globally known and recognized for their works. Madonna is from Detroit, Michigan, but goes around the globe with her dozens of organizations and aid programs to help others. Vincent Van Gogh is from the Netherlands, but we study and read about his work here in The United States. Beethoven was born in the Electorate of Cologne, now Germany, but is being studied and his works carefully maintained here in The United States. 

These specific icons all have and hold a particular meaning to me. Madonna was always an artist that I listened to growing up. This was mainly due to the fact that my mother listened to her music and I had no say so on what was played on her radio, but the fact that we shared that time together listening to her music has held a sort of impact in my life. I was presented the music that my mother listened to in her youth and this very same artist is current in today's musical stream and is still making hit records today. It is hard for me to believe that an artist can last as long as she has and can still make music that today's generation would find "hip" or in style, but her way of keeping up is amazing. she is innovative, imaginative, and in my eyes will not be slowing down anytime soon. I look forward to what new ventures, ideals, and fads Madonna will create in the future and will always keep in the back of my mind that my mother was the one that introduced us. Vincent Van Gogh will always hold a place in my heart. I will forever remember learning about his mysterious ways and his innovative passion to create works that were different, but sane in a sense to him. I can not tell you how many times I have personally attempted the "Starry Night" painting and can not even begin to count how many times you hear his name in the educational atmosphere. Van Gogh is long past, but yet somehow they keep his relevant in today's society. A mainstream example would be when I was younger and had somehow gotten ahold of a comforter set adorned in the Starry Night painting which was most likely sold at a Walmart at some point in time. This just goes to show that if the product is in demand, the companies will produce it. Now Beethoven on the other hand did not have a direct impact on my life, but seemed to always somehow sneak his musical endeavors into my ears at different points in time. The first I can recall would be school of course when  you have to learn sound patterns and learn the different musical symbols and what they all mean. The second encounter would be driving down the road and switching the stations around to see if there is anything better on the radio than the channel of streaming commercials you are having to listen to. Skipping around and then coming across a station that plays classical music that you stop and listen to for a second because you have heard through the grapevine that classical music has been scientifically proven to make babies smarter while there in the womb. Then you realize you are no longer a baby and flip the station because your brain is already fully developed. The third time I remember running into this musical genius is when I was pregnant, walking through the baby isles and the end cap playing a musical medley of Beethoven which can be purchased on a cd for your child to listen to. And the final recurrence of Beethoven would be now and it is all due to my children. This is simply because they watch Nick Jr. which plays the show "Little Einsteins" and constantly plays classical music genres to teach children about the vast musical capabilities they can achieve. So in other words, I could not escape Beethoven even if I tried. They have always found a way to reinvent these artists and have keep them relevant way past their time. 

An icon should be something that can be seen in a sense as forever lasting or eternal. Of course I do not mean that people will live for an eternity, what I do mean though is that their principles, works, stories, talents, virtues, etc., will be forever lasting. For example, the story of Jesus can be seen as iconic in a way because the story that happened so long ago is still being told and held in high regard. I am not saying this is the only religion of course being held in high relation, but I am simplifying using this as an example of something that is iconic. Jesus was found to have been born around 4/ 6 BC and the story is still alive and well in today's culture. People have founded churches, started organizations, passed down stories, wrote books, drawn and created paintings, etc., from something that was so long ago, yet the concept of God and Jesus can still be seen with very large relevance in today's society. So, now that I have gone over my icons and what I feel to be true about the ones I choose, what would you consider a contemporary icon?