[Integrative Studio 1] Project #2 : Image and Text ‘Peer to Peer’

“Everyone’s work, whether it be literature, or music or pictures or architecture or anything else, is always a portrait of themselves.”  

Samuel Butler, novelist

For the second project of our Studio class I was asked to make a portrait of my partner and a self portrait that incorporates image and text from Seminar. However, this time, there were some constraints made to the project which were to use eight 18×24 sheets of paper and be in gray scale. 

My in-class partner was Namra, and to know and make piece that reflect one another, we shared conversations, do interviews and went on a field trip together to MET.

< Part A : Field Trip to MET>

 

While spending time with Namra, what dominated my mind was the thought of

‘appreciation  of not knowing and appreciation of knowing’

and

‘Joy of Sharing’

We were looking at the Arab and Asian section which Namra and my culture was from, and while looking at some Urdu text which she could read, I realized that what was a total pattern for me was a readable text for her. Korean section was closed for the moment that we weren’t able to visit them but explaining East Asian texts gave her the similar experiences as well.  Artpieces gave different appreciation and feelings before and after knowing about them  and these experience gave me the joy of sharing at the same time the thought about

‘seeing the invisible’

Aside from the thoughts, I also found out that we as Asians share lots of commonalities like having own texts, people’s prejudices on us

 <Part B : Brainstorming & Developing>

 The mind map that I drew with the word ‘portrait’ led me to think about the word ‘reflection’ and the question of ‘who am I’  and based on that, I tried to brainstorm further how to express them in my piece.

   

In the end, I felt that reflecting the idea I got from the MET

‘seeing the invisible’

and letting people see who Namra really is or show invisible values of her hidden behind the  prejudices that comes from culture, society, appearances and whatever that is blocks real her was what I should do in portraitinig her.

Thus, I decided to make a box that looks simple and ordinary outside, yet once peeked inside, provide a twist. Like a kaleidscope that produces illusive images, I tried to produce reflecting and illusive views inside to question whether what we see was really what we really see. Utilizing the experience where text looked once pattern before knowing it, I broke down name of Namra in Urdu and Korean, mixed them and make pattern out of it to put it inside the box with her picture. Moreover,

To fit the constraint of the project I decided to keep the size of the box 20×20 so that when both outside and the inside box comes together, it will sum to four 18by24.

 

For myself, I  really got confused at first in refelcting myself ‘who I really am’, before actually putting them into my work. However, as I was interviewing my partner, I realized that I was reflecting myself while reflecting her by asking the qeustions I asked to her.

‘Portraying myself while portraying others’

that I experienced was what I wanted to reflect on my work and share with the class that I tried to brainstorm mediums that could reflect the images of the viewer and ended up choosing eyes, which reflect one another’s image as we face one another.

Instead of drawing the one giant eye and with lines, I made layers of them using transparent papers and with letters.

The first layer, reflecting Iris,the  second layer, the message I conveyed in the project, the third layer, my name written in Korean, and the last layer, my name written in English were  drawn to come altogether and form a eye of myself.

<Final Project: in Detail>

I. Self Portrait

 Layer 1 : Iris

Layer 2 : Messages

Layer 3 : Name in Korea

Layer 4 : Name in English

II. Peer Portrait

Outside view

Inside view

Urdu+Korean Text and Pattern

<On Class Demonstration>

On the day of the class presentation and critique I pinned the self portrait on the wall on the eye level that people standing infront can see their images and flipp the papers as they see the work.

For the Namra’s portrait, I placed the box on the windows or tables and during the presenting time used latern to light the inside.

<Critique>

It was great to hear from the class first and formost that me and my partner’s  piece was a harmonious piece, yet with each other’s own style. It was pleasing that the message of the piece was well conveyed amd representedfor I was worried what if it was not clear for thinking about the message and processing it took me so much time. Most of all, the point that the piece is inviting and experiencing was what made me the happiest, for it was the value I always wish to contain in my work.

However, this made me to think again about the question of ‘should artwork  tell without telling?’.  Since both the first and this project got the comment that the pieces were silent at first but left long impression after invinting people, I realized that it was one of my color. Still, having to explain the messages left me the thought ‘what if this is not my classmates but a public who is busy, have no time and interest in listening what I wish to tell? Will I still be able to invite them and convey the warmth?’

  <To End>

Working with inspirational partner, Namra, and sharing the thoughts and views about ourself and art not only allowed me to know about her but about myself and made me to grow a step further. Moreover, after finishing the project and pondering upon question of

‘Should artwork tell by itself?’

I , at least as of not, and as for me, thought that it should achieve both, artwork should be both visually compelling and meaningful. If I want to convey the meaning and warmth throught the artwork, I thought I also had a task to invite and capture people. More than that, I thought that people are all different and I  have a task to satisfy who only want visual, or artistic, qualities, and who are invited and interested then will received messages. This I think is what I should try to achieve and learn as I progress though my life in Parsons and I hope I remind myself of  this valuable lesson as my direction onwards.