2009-2010 School year
Text Painting (Diptych) Reflection
12.21.09
My two pieces were about hide and seek and horseback riding. The games themselves have little connection with each other but the composition had some similarities. They were both of the same size and format. A piece with denser text was centered in the middle while less dense text made up the background. The hide and seek had a warmer color scheme while the horseback riding one had a cooler color scheme. For my hide and seek piece the centerpiece opened to more text like a door. This represented something ‘hiding’ and opening the doors and curtains represented ‘seeking’ or discovering.
I followed all of the criteria for the project and am satisfied with my work ethic but I wish I had been more creative and experimental. Some other possibilities would have been to work with other medias and materials and layering more text in different fonts, colors, and sizes. I think my design could have been more connected to the theme of the pieces for more effective communication of my thoughts.
Prompt: Due Wednesday, 11.18.09
What two games have contributed to who I am and what might they “say” to one another?
My first diptych will be about horseback riding. It’s the only sport I’ve ever really done and I took lessons at a stable in Skippack from when I was around nine to eleven. There is definitely a lot of vocabulary involved and technical terms for things. There are names for pieces of equipment, parts of a horse, behavior of a horse, a rider’s clothes, and many other things. When I first started I was overwhelmed and had to learn and remember terms for everything, but as I did it longer I knew more and more.
My second diptych will be about the game hide and go seek. I played it in my childhood with my friends and it was one of my favorite games. I think hide and go seek can be seen as childish and taking up horseback riding represents growing more independent and focused on my individual interests.
Due Friday, 11.13.09: Reflection paper for the Identification Cards investigation.
You are to type a paper reflecting your thoughts, goals and solutions for each of the aspects of your personal identity addressed in the 50 pieces of art recently completed.
Cultural Identity
Prompt: How do you define culture and how does culture define you?
I think culture is something that affects practically every aspect of how you live so for my cards I didn’t focus specifically on a single thing. The fronts consisted of chandeliers, hanging lights with birds, gems, necklaces and a birdcage while the backs had my name. My name was written in both English and Chinese because although I was born in America my Chinese culture is a major part of who I am and both cultures influence me.
Familial Identity
Prompt: How are you positioned within your family dynamic and how does that influence your identity?
I live with five other family members and within my family I am the youngest daughter. My sister is two years older than me and I saw her as a trailblazer and someone that already experienced things I was going to experience. We were pretty close and spent a lot of time together when we were young but in fourth grade she transferred to a different school and it felt a little like I was left alone to fend for myself. On one side of the card it says “wish you were here” to symbolize how I missed my sister sometimes. The other symbol is the birds which signify me learning to do things on my own.
Stereotypical Identity
Prompt: What is your perception of how you are perceived by others?
I think that other people do not get a real sense of who I am by just looking at me because people that know me well have a different view of me than people who don’t know me well. For my cards I used multiple pictures to represent the variety of traits I have. There are also a lot of small details which represent people having to look closer to truly see.
“Other” Identity
Prompt: In what ways or situations do I find myself treated as an “Other”?
A lot of times I feel like an other because I’m not very outgoing so I can be seen as unsocial and shy. The plaid symbolizes “feeling alone in a crowded room”. Although a single stripe can be next to and overlapped with several other stripes it still stands by itself among all the different colors.
Heroic Identity
Prompt: What defines a hero and what is heroic about you currently, or what heroic qualities would you hope to develop as you age.
An heroic trait I admire is sense of self. I am impressed by people that are not afraid to be true to themselves and do not give in to peer pressure. For my cards the multicolored dots represents a person showing off his or her uniqueness .
10/23/09
What defines a hero and what is heroic about you currently, or what heroic qualities would you hope to develop as you age?
A hero is somebody that helps others in need. When we think of a hero we think of somebody superhuman like Superman because we see them as greater than us for their strength, powers, etc. There are also heroic historical figures like George Washington who were leaders. However, I think a hero can be an everyday, normal person with admirable traits like compassion. They can also be courageous and willing to sacrifice to help others. Currently I think some heroic traits I have are kindness and hard working. When I grow up I hope to become smart so I can do well in my career, loving to take care of my children, and more confident.
10/13/09
In what ways or situations do I find myself treated as an “Other”?
Sometimes I find myself treated as an other at school because I don’t know a lot of students there. Most students have known each other since middle or elementary school so sometimes I feel like an outsider because I started going to Wissahickon in ninth grade and don’t know people as well. In general, when I am around people I don’t know or haven’t met I feel like an other because I don’t know their personality, haven’t shared any experiences with them, and don’t know if I have anything in common. Even around my friends I feel out of place when they discuss something I’m not involved in because I can’t relate or add anything to the conversation. Also, since most people in my grade are a year older than me I feel like an other when they talk about age related things I haven’t gone through yet like a permit or driver’s license test, college applications, or sweet sixteen.
10/1/09
Stereotypical Identity
Prompt: What is your perception of how you are perceived by others?
I think I am perceived by others as shy and not very outspoken. I might also be seen as unsocial because if I don’t know other people I tend to stick to myself instead of being outgoing. I’m also pretty quiet so I’m probably seen as being not very talkative. I’ve always taken difficult classes in school so I study and do homework often so I think I could be stereotyped as a nerd. Being Asian and getting good grades also contributes to my ‘smart girl’ image. I think someone’s idea of yourself is also affected by how closely and long they have known you and everyone you meet has a different impression of you.
Cultural identity
9.10.09
I define culture as the way of life of a person. It determines everything from diet to choice of clothing. Culture is influenced by a person’s environment, beliefs, family, and friends. It can encompass many things like his or her religion, values, practices, and behavior. Often times a person will share the same culture as the people around him or her because it creates a common link. Also, it is a tie to a person’s heritage and ethnicity.
Culture defines me in several ways. Because of my family I am able to speak different languages and because of my goals I am pursuing a career in science. I share many interests with my friends like taste in music, but I think that they have shaped my interests in a way.
Family identity
9.18.09
Within my family dynamic I am the youngest child. I live with my parents, grandparents, and older sister. Because of this I feel like I always have a lot of work to do- schoolwork, taking care of my grandparents, and doing chores around the house. Overall though, I am not very close with my family. This has influenced my identity by making me independent. For the cards that represent my familial identity I plan on taking inspiration from lyrics by Broken Toy Airplanes. I feel that the tone of her voice in a lot of her songs matches my emotions when it comes to my family. Some reoccurring symbols I will use throughout my series of cards will include birds and birdcages.
