Project #4: Embodying The Myth

P          H          A          S          E                     1

 

Project Description:

“This assignment builds on the previous assignment/projects and your other classes if that suits you. Transform your experiences of Memory, Self, Other, Myth through research and making.  Generate your own thematic ideas through these filters. The project could begin with an aspect of your memory as a myth or take your myth’s objects and location.  Myth is one of those words that is perfectly ambiguous,  steeped in a deep TRUTH  beyond time or the very definition of something FAKE. Work with that if you like. A fairy tale or legend can also be used. UPDATE them, however, make them YOUR Own. Consider physical structures as containers.

This project demands the most extensive cross-platform explorations of all the assignments.

PROJECT OUTCOME: at least 2-3 FORMS/FORMATS are required-‐They should be combined or integrated.

Together they become an installation.”

 

Brainstorm: 

 

Proposal:

For the final bridge project, I propose the creation of one song and the development of a piece of work that represents it, an album cover in other words. The pieces will be based on an Omani folktale about a young shepherdess who must fend off a leopard to save her village. Ultimately, she sacrifices her own life to do so. This folktale promotes the idea of sacrificing oneself for the good of the group, however, I want to question it. Why is it that this is promoted over Individuality? Why must one have to give up their voice for the sake of peace, especially if that peace is toxic?

In terms of technique, The lyrics and base melody will be completed during class time where it will be recorded and mixed at the Berklee College of Music with my sister, a current student there. The Album cover will be a piece created digitally through illustrator and both pieces will be shared via social media on various platforms such as Soundcloud, Instagram, Spotify, etc.

 

Link to Seminar: 

The lyrics created for Studio will be featured in the retelling of the story from my protagonist’s point of view. The retelling will come in the form of a short story. The piece will take place in a fictional version of Muscat (the capital of Oman), where the protagonist will be faced with the decision to either study something approved by his family (thereby serving them) or to study his true passion (thereby serving himself). In his quest to choose which major he will study he asks his closest advisors and reflects. These interactions help him come to the end result of choosing the path his parents want him too, where he ultimately begins to lose his “color” and falls into a depressive state.

In essence he mimics the role of the main protagonist in the folktale resulting in him losing an important aspect to his identity (dying in other words).

 

Inspiration:

• Poets/Lyricists:
  • Yousif Yaseen
    • https://soundcloud.com/yousifyaseen/06-world-keeps-spinning
  • Kahlil Gibran
    • https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/148570/on-pleasure
• Singers:
  • Yousif Yaseen
    • https://soundcloud.com/yousifyaseen/05-la-tinsani
  • Yasmine Hamdan/Soap Kills
    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltnjux5dI34
  • Fairouz
    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCn_vzIV1xY
    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hti7IJUKcbw
    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENPZqba6ZIc
  • Zain AlMaani/Areej Band
    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlivlZzopnQ
• Composers:
  • Rahbani Brothers
  • Ziyad Hamdan (Other half of Soap Kills)

 

Timeline:

4.16.19

• Completed initial research and the finalized decision of idea. The proposal and brainstorm of said idea ready.

4.17.19

• Continued research on books “ḤIKĀYĀT SHAʻBĪYAH MIN ẒUFĀR.” (Folktales from Dhofar), “The Encyclopedia of Middle Eastern Mythology and Religion,” and “ḤIKĀYĀT SHAʻBĪYAH UMANĪYAH” (Omani Folktales). Must be picked up from the UC and NYU Bobst Library. The first draft of lyrics completed. The first draft of Melody completed.

4.19.19

• Lyrics revised and the second draft completed to share with Maya in class. Melody revised by sister through WhatsApp and Zoom Video. Brainstorm and at least 2 concept sketches of album cover completed.

4.21.19

• The final draft of lyrics and melody completed ready to be recorded that weekend at Berklee College of Music with sister. Complete at least 3 additional concept sketches of album cover and begin creating it on illustrator.

4.26.19 – 4.27.19

• Travel to Boston for recording session and production of beats and finalization of song. Finalize Album Cover design and begin work on Illustrator.

4.28.19

• Complete Final Album cover piece and share with Anney for last critique. Make any changes needed.

4.29.19

• Post on Social Media Platforms (Instagram, Soundcloud, Spotify, etc.)

 

P          H          A          S          E                     2

 

 

After talking with my professor she suggested that I use the lyrics I made and turn them into a piece themselves. I think the best way to do it is for the words to take center stage with a simple yet thought out background. As for the illustrations, I wanted to throw back to the first project where I created two mandalas, more specifically, the second mandala representing my true self. I chose this as I was very interested in seeing if I could do more with that style of analog illustration. Furthermore, I was inspired by two Middle Eastern illustrators, Rama Duwaji and Monmoshtari. There work is raw and analytical at the same time, which is something I wanted to emulate as well.

 

 

With the two illustrated pieces, I wanted to establish two opposing viewpoints, one from the perspective of the group and the other from the individual. I felt that this would best explain the myth and how I wanted to question it. The woman and the goats represent the collection while the leopard represents the individual. Each is looking at the interaction they had from different perspectives that highlight how mysterious and odd the individual is but also how overwhelming and taxing the group can be.

 

 

P          H          A          S          E                     4

 

Installation:

When preparing for the installation, I had to first decide where I was going to print my work and what I was going to pint on.

The design Lab on the 10th floor of the Parsons building has a plotter that allows you to bring whatever paper you’d like to print on. As all of my work is quite large, I thought this would be a great decision. Furthermore, I tested on two different paper. The first was Canson’s “Mi Teintes” that I purchased from Blick. The result was effective as the texture of the paper came through and made the peace tactilly more interesting. However, I found thst the paper’s white color was too cool for my taste. It felt cheap. The second was bristol paper, which was warm in nature, the only downside is that it did not have as much texture as the Mi teintes. In all, I found that the temperature of the paper was more important to me, so I decided to use the Bristol.

For the installation, I decided to portray the images in a simple yet professional manner by printing them on bristol paper and adhering them to black foam board. The boards were held up b stands that I made by cutting shallow slits in extra black foam board and gaffers tape. Furthermore, I used a fresh blade in my Olfa knife to make sure that the edges were clean. The end result was durable and effective.

In terms of lighting, I originally thought of using strip LED lights, but I then realized that the lighting would not be that effective in terms of mood. Thinking back to Project #3, I remembered that the strip LEDs we used did not create much light not did it have a sense of emotion or mystery. It felt fake. Taking inspiration from a classmate, I decided to use fairy lights as this not only matches the tone but the bristol paper as well.

 

P          H          A          S          E                     5

 

Finals:

 

Reflection:

For the first iteration of  Project #4, the reason why it fell apart was due to the amount of work that would need to get done in the short amount of time given. My sister was about to graduate from university, so it just was not the time for this undertaking. I found this to be quite unfortunate as it was something that could have been discussed beforehand, however, I will mention that I played a part in it as well. I was so focused and determined to achieve the goal that I ignored the realities of the situation, that my skills were nowhere near ready for such a project. In all, it was a great learning experience for me as I learned that, although it is necessary to challenge oneself, it is essential to recognize one’s abilities first and see if one can still create an outstanding body of work.

The second iteration of Project #4 was more accomplishable not only because I’ve used the medium before but that I could control it myself since there is only, a sheet of paper, a few pens, and myself involved. The issue I faced within the creation of this body of work is similar to the first iteration of Project #4 where I perhaps overly challenged myself.

In my work, it is important to me that it is challenging. by making sure that all of the dots and lines are done by my hand, I feel as though this piece is more intrinsic to who I am, and what I am feeling in that moment. However, this process only works well when there is plenty of time. I had less time to finish this project. I had to find a way to end the piece in a manner that satisfied my expectations as well as that of the course. I decided to take one of the pieces into photoshop to add washes and more details that elevated it to another level.

Overall, I found this project to be the most challenging. From pushing myself to do things that I’ve never done before to learning how to be decisive in unfortunate situations. I learned that you have to have a calm and calculative mind when faced with issues that may be beyond your control.