Chester Arnold was born in Santa Monica CA. However he was raised in post war Germany. His strong convictions against the western world and its way of living perhaps were because of where he was raised. Germany at that time was separated in two as both west and east Germany. The west was a NATO country. Whereas the East was under totalitarianism dictatorship. It was also allied with the soviet union. It would not be till 1990 that Germany would unite as whole once again. He lived there when Germany so desperately wanted to clean up and rebuild. Chester Arnold focuses mostly on the western world’s impact on the finite resources of the world; as well as the detrimental effects on the ecology. His pieces are often scattered bits of human life discarded and forgotten. This can be seen in Germany as many had either fled or were killed. Ruin neighborhoods of rubble and trash being cleaned up block by block. The artifacts of the neighborhoods life and history scattered forever in the wind; fueled by thieves and liberators. The only inheritance left where the scattered bits of paper left about the floor. Nothing more than the memories of times gone by. Nothing left in monetary value. However all worthless garbage to someone that came after the war. His view seems dim. Like the future generations are left with the trash left by past generations. We inherent the troubles and woes of our ancestors and are left to deal with their mess. To no gain for ourselves. It is a bitter view blinded by lack of understanding. In order to understand you would need to be there to live in a home. Remember it before the bomb goes off before you grab everything you can and flee your home. In the painting “Inheritance, 2007” You can see the last news paper read in that home before the distant booms. The ledger of your favorite pros sitting on the table stained by the coffee in your hand unnerved by a startling sound of your worst fear. When the “what ifs” of your worries become reality; when the war knocks at your door step. Primary colors are used to balance the piece and help bring focus to different areas of this piece. Many stains on the floor give this piece pattern echoed by the many papers dispersed on the floor. Texture is used in the crumpled paper giving the piece a more three dimensional sense. These small details help transpose the gravity and importance of this message by keeping the viewer interested. It also makes you question the meaning behind this great piece.
