Category Archives: Student Posts

Gallery Catalogue Entry

ENG1101 Project #5, Student Posts

Sorrow, is a piece of Humument that created by HaiLin Du over J. D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye. A Humument was a new expression of art that was inspired by Tom Phillips created over W. H. Mallock’s novel A Human Document. In this Humument, the artist is bringing out a different interpretation of the original text. The sentence in this artwork is from the top to the bottom, indicating a movement to guide viewers how to read it. The sentence said “I almost I thought I have
 hold on, don’t cry, I’ll be very, very, very sad” is a sentence that portraying protagonist Holden Caulfield’s innermost feeling from The Catcher in the Rye. Holden Caulfield is an icon of teenage rebellion in the novel. However, it is a different expression showing the protagonist is being lonely and sad. As viewers continue viewing carefully, everything in this piece has meaning.

At the beginning of creating this piece, the artist is decided to use analogous colors to express a sorrow feeling. However, the artist also applying the idea from the original text and combing with his idea and finally comes out with this final product. As viewers looking at these colors, there is dominating navy blue is surrounded by the black color. In the original text, Holden Caulfield is a spokesman that asking why the society is corrupt. As a teenager, Holden did not understand what is true and wrong. Holden wishes to remain as a child and never grow up, because he believes being innocent is the happiest thing in the world. However, everyone has to face the reality, because everyone has to grow up. As a result, Holden hates the adult’s world, and he wants to protect the innocent from the society.

However, no one understands Holden, and Holden is on his own way. As time passing by, Holden is building a wall blocking himself from adult’s world. The color of this piece is a symbol of the wall that encircles Holden’s innermost feeling. As viewers can see, navy color is dominating the piece which representing sorrow, People may think he is bad teenager, because he got kicked out of high school, running away from home, drinking liquor and etc. None of the adults can understand Holden’s innermost feeling including his parents. Fortunately, at the end of the original text, Holden’s younger sister Phoebe comforted Holden’s mind. In this art piece, artist is chosen a page at the end of the novel. At the top of this art piece, there is a small space that colored with sky color, which represents a light from Phoebe getting into Holden’s innermost feeling.

This page is a scene that Holden is in an argument with Phoebe, and Phoebe starts to cry. From the original text, Holden expresses he hated his sister, because his sister wants to run away with him. However, the artist interprets this page into a different meaning. Holden is rebelling the society, because no one can understand him. However, the artist expressing Phoebe’s tears makes Holden realize he has someone he wants to care about. This art piece is designed to be sorrow, but the hidden meaning of the small space is indicating Holden’s mind is being comforted by his innocent sister. The artist hopes every viewer can understand the true meaning of the original text, and also can understand the interpretation of the artist.

Overall, Sorrow is an art piece indicating everyone to view something differently. The purpose of this artwork is to remind people should not make any prediction from the observation of the surface. The artist hopes everyone can understand Holden’s innermost feeling, but also has a deeper meaning which to inform people things can be interpreted in a different way.

Traumatized

Student Posts, Glossary

Traumatized - adjective

Definition: Psychiatry. to cause a trauma in (the mind)

Source: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Traumatize?s=t

Encounter: I encounter the word when I read the article “CAR Sees Child Soldier Increase” in December 21, 2014

Understand:  The word traumatize is used when VĂ©ronique Aubert (Senior Conflict & Humanitarian Policy and Research Adviser for Save the Children) said “many children are traumatized from witnessing violence or being forced to take part in it.” From that sentence, I did not understand what the word traumatize means until I looked up in the dictionary. Traumatize in the sentence means many children are injured in psychology by witnessing or be part in the violence. However, the word traumatized and traumatize is different, because this sentence using the word traumatize as an adjective with the past tense. In the end, I have learnt this word can be used as a verb and adjective depends on the sentence.

Project #5: Humument Image and Text gallery Draft + 50 word note

Student Posts, ENG1101, ENG1101 Project #6, Coursework

Building New York, a Humument created by Kevin J. Ayala is a Piece that was inspired by Tom Phillips’s rendering of text from the original Humument. In this Humument, We are shown of Ayala’s expression for New York and  his love for it explained by this short Humument. Complemented by the drawing of what seems to be an interpretation of New York during a night time setting, it reads, ” I’m Here because i was born here, Building private New York, All worldly possessions in hand, Look, there is the first brick in your city”. The text that Ayala creates this Humument from was from Colson Whitehead’s “City Limits”, a Essay describing people first encounters with New York and how its settings begin to change overtime, but not the person’s Interpretation of “Their own New York”. The piece was made in Brooklyn, N.Y in December of the year 2014, Being displayed in the Brooklyn Gallery of Art and Poetry.

This piece seems to be made from an actual document (Or a possible copy) that contains part of Colson’s Whitehead’s essay, “City Limits”. The document was painted over with what seems to be gouache paint, using cool, dark colors to compliment the Night setting of what seems to be drawn as Ayala’s Small interpretation of what New York looks like in a small window, With Buildings Painted on both sides of the page, along with a small view of a bridge in the middle of the buildings (what seems to be Brooklyn Bridge). The one red rectangle on one of the buildings that surrounds the word “Brick” in the humument really gives diversity into the work, also passing the message of seeing “The first brick in your city”

By Using Whitehead’s Text, Ayala wanted to give a short but meaningful message of experiencing New York for the first time, and what it has to offer to that person’s experiences in life. For all his life, Ayala has lived in New York, surrounded by influences and inspiration. To capture those small moments in life, he decided to study in an artistic major. This way, he can draw out those small moments in his mind and be able to transfer that idea in a creative way, either be by poetry or a drawing, painting, etc. For his whole life, he always had a thing with music and drawing, the music part being an influence into poetry. Originally when he created his Humument, it was a project in his freshman year at City Tech College located in Brooklyn, New York.  For his whole English 101 class, the writing that was done was mainly revolved around the New York area and its influences towards the student.

Ayala’s influence to make this humument was once again, his love for the New York state and its appealing moments, areas, etc. The picture drawn for the humument was inspired by the Brooklyn area, and its plentiful buildings along with a sight of the Brooklyn Bridge. The area was new to him during the time and it was something he wanted to explore with his free time, thus came the idea of the picture for the Humument. Ayala was so fascinated and intrigued by the surrounding Brooklyn area, he wanted to capture that scene with both a drawing and a type of poetry. Since his situation fits the theme of Whitehead’s “City Limit”, Ayala thought it would be the perfect essay to use to describe the experience of his first time on Brooklyn when he attended college.

Ayala’s Piece has earned its place in our museum due to its artistic look and excellent use of poetry within a text as a normal Humument would do. He really did capture the meaning of coming to an area for the first time, beginning a new map of your personal New York and your experiences that are to come in the future.

 

 

50 Word Note:

Building New York, a Humument created by Kevin J. Ayala is a Piece that was inspired by Tom Phillips’s rendering of text from the original Humument. With Text Taken from Colson Whiteheads “City Limits”, the Humument shows a single red Brick (Over “Brick”) to show the ” First brick in your city”

Reflection

Student Posts, ENG1101 Project #5

This semester for me had its ups and downs. I was a little behind in the beginning and soon caught up, then I fell behind again and was always turning in things late. I liked the projects overall because they were interesting- not dull and boring where you just do research at home, write an essay and turn it in. There was some exploration and adventure for these assignments which I’m glad for because it made it more fun. I think my writing skills have improved in the past 4 months however I could do better with my procrastination level. College is time consuming because of the work but this class made it fun and I was able to do some of the work with my friends outside of school. I think I need to work on my vocabulary words more because I want a wider range of vocabulary and I’ve been slacking with that this semester, mainly focusing on the assignments. Overall the work was fair and our peer mentor was helpful throughout the semester and I can say I will use what I learned in the next semesters I have left here and in real life.

prostrate

ENG1101, Glossary, Student Posts

Adjective

Definition

1:  stretched out with face on the ground in adoration or submission; also  :  lying flat

2:completely overcome and lacking vitality, will, or power to rise

3. trailing on the ground

This word from Cora Unashamed by Langston Hughes. “All the family dressed in deep mourning. Mrs. Art was prostrate.”  This is a scene that on the funeral of Mrs. Art’s daughter. She shows like very weak and depressed. I’ve learned this word before, but forget some parts of its meaning, 

reference: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prostrate

Ubiquitous

Student Posts, Glossary

Ubiquitous (adj.) – existing or being everywhere at the same time :  constantly encountered. (merriam-webster.com)

I came across this word in the Ways of Seeing text on page 32 where it describes art. It says “For the first time ever, images of art have become ephemeral, ubiquitous, insubstantial, available, valueless, free.” I understand now from the definitions and the context clues in the sentence that ubiquitous means “open” or “surrounding”.