Some Like Poetry.

Some Like Poetry
by: Wislawa Szymborska

This poem is important to me, because it was the the first poem that we discussed in my English class during my sophomore year of high school. This poem and the power of the words converted me from the "majority" of which Szymborska speaks, to the "Some" that actually "like" "poetry."

Each stanza delves into the meaning of each of the words "some", "like", and "poetry." I wanted to continue the trend of breaking down words. Szymborska does an excellent job of discussing what the words are supposed to symbolize, but I wanted to visually break down the words-- the letters that symbolize sounds that form words that provide cultural expectations of carrying a meaning. I did this in a few ways.

For starters, I knew I wanted to create 3 separate books for each stanza. It was important to me to allow for the words/stanzas to be isolated when the books are being read. This reinforces the concept of close examination. These books were constructed by removing the pages from a store-bought photo album and hand-sewing them together to bind them.

The initial background image of each page is actually an individual letter from the words "some" "like" and "poem" in a font that is actually a series of symbols. This background image is unable to be recognized as any particular letter and is brought even further through warping the vectors to abstract the abstraction.

Which each page, the words are strategically placed and modified to form the letter on the page, for example the page with the warped image of "L" would have the text on the page form the recognizable letter "L". I found this to be an interesting study on the arbitrary selection of the symbols that are letters, and thus, connote how the purpose of words to provide meaning is paralleled by the purpose of letters to form words. It is the words that form the letters. The scrutinizing viewer is only rewarded to an extent, for only so much is able to be discovered to fully understand the meaning of the books. This parallels the conclusion that Szymborska draws in the poem's conclusion-- Some things are abstract and can not be pinned down to show their origin, but instead their meaning and value is relative to who is seeking understanding and what they gather on their own.



All of the images were created within Illustrator and printed in CYMK on the Phaser printer.
Text used:
Caravan (abstract/warped text)
Briem Script (lines of the poem)

Climbing to New Heights

Belayer
The belayer's role is a necessary support system that ensures the progress and safety of the climber. With every upward movement, the belay pulls the excess slack, making sure that the climber does not fall far from the last move. Finally, when the climber needs to rest and reevaluate the course of action, the belayer is the one who carries the weight of the climber.
This visualization of myself as the belayer is representative of my role as the belayer in the lives of those around me. I care deeply for my loved ones and I would support them during any time of need, just as they have supported me throughout the many difficult times in my past.



Climber
The climber pushes herself to the limit to reach the top of the mountain. The vertical journey is very difficult, and sometimes she wants to give up, resting her weight on the belayer who encourages her to continue onward. Through the reassurance of the rope and the perseverance towards the goal, the climber reaches the top and begins to grasp the sky as the limit.
This visualization of myself is during the defining moments of my past--times when I would have fallen to the ground without the supporting rope of my loved ones. At the same time, the climber represents the rewards for all of the hard work invested into progress.



Boulderer
Bouldering is rope-less climbing that lacks mobility over long distances, but makes up for in quality of strength. As the relationship between the belayer and the climber is necessary in order to attain success, bouldering is a testament to self-reliance and risk-taking. The healthy balance of all these activities provides for a well-rounded climber.
This final visualization of my self is evidently symbolic of my hopes for the future as I attempt to become more and more self-reliant. As bouldering and vertical climbing are rewarding in their different ways, the introspective self-cultivation of my independent self is just as important as turning to my loved ones in times of need and being the support system when they are no longer able to carry their burdens on their own.

It's not what you say: It's how you say it.

Qué pienso en el día en el museo Dia:Beacon

Several of the pieces at Dia:Beacon were particularly interesting and captured my attention. The two artists that stick out the most in my mind are Sol LeWitt and John Chamberlain. I was very interested in the study of line, shapes, and color usage in LeWitt's Drawing installation. I have an appreciation of works that tie into less abstract subject matter, because this is not the type of work that I create. In contrast to the relatively monotone 2-dimensional, geometric studies of LeWitt, John Chamberlain's metal sculptures take on a life of their own. They are infused with imposing movement and vibrant colors. The LeWitt installations take a different approach by using only primary hues when working with color, leaving a faint sheerness of what hints at the presence of the artist's hand. The drawings fade together into an visual blending of value and slight color. The Chamberlain sculptures also have the visual blending effect, but is more imposing than the LeWitt drawings in it's chaotic array of detail and color. However, the repetition in the LeWitt and Chamberlain pieces contain highly refined detailing and promotes movement.

"I never paint dreams or nightmares. I paint my own reality." --Frida Kahlo

Though they have all addressed different issues, the three artists Cui Xiuwen, Cindy Sherman, and Frida Kahlo study gender issues in their contemporary societies. In reference to her "Angel" series, Xiuwen states how young women are more and more becoming pregnant in her local society and around the world. Though her pieces do not seem to place a value judgment referencing this trend, she does mention that she feels it is becoming a problem. By her repetitive images of the same young woman in this series, I think she is depicting a redundancy of young pregnancy. The title "Angel" is an interesting title, because it could have several meanings. One meaning could be the obvious innocence of youth and the beauty of pregnancy. Another could be the death of youth in exchange for motherhood. Regardless, the settings have an airy, "heavenly" quality that adds to the "angelic" pieces.
Like Xiuwen, Frida Kahlo addresses the subject of pregnancy in several of her pieces, however her pieces are much less hopeful and light. Kahlo has the overt subjects reflecting her own challenges in her life. While Xiuwen's pieces challenge the "problem" of youth pregnancy, Kahlo's pieces address the complete opposite-- her miscarriages and infertility. In "Henry Ford Hospital," Kahlo depiction of herself includes images of biological parts necessary for pregnancy, however they are only attached to her by red lines-- perhaps conceptual umbilical cords? This is clearly a tangible representation of her suffering over the loss of her child.
Sherman addresses the depictions of women in film, and does not really address fertility and motherhood like Xiuwen and Kahlo. However, like Kahlo, Sherman repeatedly includes her own image within her work. Kahlo created several self-portraits, but many of her works contained other subjects where her presence in the composition was not the main focus. A particular piece of Kahlo's that I think parallels Sherman's work is "The Two Fridas," because it depicts her "wife" persona in the public sphere next to her heartbroken persona. Sherman's work challenges the whole concept of the public sphere personas to which women of her time are often expected to confine themselves.

Illustrator Exercise

Photoshop Exercise