"Proud Flesh"

"The year was 2009
In the summer when a line
Was etched on my chest forever.
Heart surgery is hard
Made easier with get well cards,
Yet confused by EKGs and painkillers.
Upon my return home,
I soon learned
How ashamed I was of my scar.
A gruesome reminder of a painful experience
I was not too keen to remember.

Ugly. Awful. Horrifying.

It was once described as a worm.

Because of these names and because of my shame

I hid this mark on my chest

Along with all the rest

Of the tell tale signs of my past.

Scarring. Scars. Scarred.

Words pinned with such negative connotations.

But isn’t it said, 'What doesn’t kill us make us stronger?'

When a horse is hurt, it heals its wound, 

Forming a patch of reinforced, raised skin.

This weaving of sinews renews and sews

Torn bodies like a mended tapestry. 

“Proud flesh” it is called,

Flesh imbued with pride

Equipped with our wounds there is no need to hide

Our histories should be worn on our sleeves 

Like badges of justly earned honor.

Scars are cherished ties to our pasts.

Connections solidified in proud flesh.

Poetess Jane Hirshfield said it best

Quote, “...as all flesh

Is proud of its wounds, wears them

As honors given out after battle,

Small triumphs pinned to the chest—

And when two people have loved each other

See how it is like a scar between their bodies,

Stronger, darker, and proud;

How the black cord makes of them a single fabric

That nothing can tear of mend.” Unquote.

Not only are scars reminders of our pasts,

But the present and future also.

They tie us at the heartstrings,

Making locks of love

Meeting our past to our future.

Bear your scars proudly,

Remember their history

For they are tokens of time here on Earth.

Never lament, don’t ever fret.

Proud flesh will help us not forget.

Proud flesh will help us not forget."

     Our memories are made up by images. Whether they be physical or completely mental images, the things we can see in our mind's eye or with our actual eyes remind us of our pasts. For me, that image is of the scar on my chest. It has been four years since my heart surgery, yet foggy memories of pain and psychological suffering are brought to the forefront of my mind whenever I glance down at my scar. My scar is a gruesome image that carries the haunting memory of an experience seeped in anguish. Yet, as time has gone by, the memory this image invokes has been come less and less painful. I have come to a place of acceptance with my scar and realize that my surgery was life saving rather than life ruining. Although the memory my scar reminds me of has not changed, my perception and feelings associated with that memory have been altered.
     My poem "Proud Flesh" describes my transition from hating my scar to embracing it. At first, I could not stand the way it looked, how it set me apart from everyone else. But after comprehending how my surgery experience was literally life saving, I could not help but gain a respect for how my scar  has strengthened me. It made me push myself harder because I did not want to appear weak. At the same time, my scar taught me that it is okay to ask for help when my own exertions are not enough. The shock of the memory had begun to wear off. Instead, I became proud of the stamina I had that got me through my surgical ordeal and was able to bear my scar in public. My scar became a memento of a past experience that made me stronger, a signifier telling me "You can do hard things."
     Physical images like scars connect our past with our present much like photographs do. Author Susan Sontag describes in her writing "Regarding the Pain of Others" how photographs can embody such sentiments, "The familiarity of certain photographs builds our sense of the present and immediate past. Photographs lay down routes of reference and serve as totems of causes: Sentiment is more likely to crystalize around a photograph than around a verbal slogan."  Seeing is more powerful than just hearing about someone's painful past. It would be a more emotional experience for someone to show another their battle scars compared to simply telling a war story. Through these physical images or photographs, humans can come to a greater understanding as we are able to empathize and listen to each other. 
     In my Fireside Chat, I accompanied my poem "Proud Flesh" with a project that transitioned from blue to red as I "warmed up" to the memory invoked by my scar. The audio also changed from horse galloping to a crescendo of violins to signify my change from running away from my scar to learning to honor it. 
     Images are powerful memory carriers. They tie us to our pasts and teach us how we must act in the present and future. Scars are physical images that are be daily reminders of where we came from and how we can get to where we are going. 

James Price

Concerned Citizen

     Homophobia runs rampant in much of Utah and is especially prevalent within Provo.  Thankfully, there are several involved individuals who are trying to cultivate compassion and love within this close minded society.  One of these concerned citizens is named James Price.  James is one of the leaders of a Provo based group called Understanding Same Gender Attraction (USGA).  He has been trying to open up Provo's collective conscious to be aware of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender community and facilitate understanding.
     James Price is a openly gay and Mormon who is not afraid to identify with both groups.  Rather than feeling out of place within either of these communities, James is able to reconcile what would seem to be two contradictory elements of his personal identity.  Through the USGA, James expresses his views on what is means to be a Latter-day Saint and gay and how these two elements do not have to conflict.  James believes that understanding is the key to inclusion, a message he shares to straight allies and gay individuals.
      Our concerned citizen documentary opens up with James Price walking into frame in front of the Provo Library.  Dani Shay's "Superheroes" is plays in the background to notify the audience that the person who is about to speak is trying to do good in the world.  Our video goes on to include footage that was taken from a past USGA meeting that James had conducted.  Shots from Dani Shay's performance were also included to illustrate how James has helped organize events to bring more awareness to the LGBT community.  We talked in class about the need for a connection to weave our community together-- a connection between the material and the subject. James creates a positive support system for people who do not feel connected with their environment. The goal of USGA is not to advocate for one lifestyle over another, but to help people understand what homosexuality is and how it is not something to be afraid of. USGA is not simply a place to find like-minded people, but to cultivate relationships between straight and LGBT audiences.
     This week’s reading, "Human Rights and Culture" by Arelene Goldbard, compared intellectual maturity and emotional maturity and purposed that the only way our emotional maturity can keep up with our intellectual is to experience art, music, theatre, and culture to further connect us with one another. James spoke about how he loves talking with people and answering any questions they may have.  Creating these bonds is what gives way to a cohesive society, something the public is striving for every day.  

     Dani Shay's performance was magnetic and the words of James Price were unifying.  They brought people within the USGA closer as members internalized the words and identified with them. The camaraderie in the room swelled. This emotional connective tissue is what allows different people to maneuver as a working body. Our documentary is only a small glimpse into James’ emotional investment within the Provo community. Even in the face of the social backlash and homophobia, James continues to spread a message of love and tolerance  to all who will listen.  surrounding him.  It’s because of people like him that we can begin to build our own culture.

Political Poster

     In our youth, children are isolated to one-sided opinions.  It is only through education and the exposure to new things can people discover how multi-faceted our society is.  For my political poster, I chose the subjects of evolution and Christianity (in particular, Mormonism).  When I was in sixth grade, our class began to learn about human evolution.  It was my belief that Mormons should shun this theory, which I readily did.  It was not until eight grade that I started to reexamine my beliefs and ask other members about their views on evolution.  Through my series of inquiries, I was able to educate myself to fully understand the complexities of the matter and reconcile two ideas that I had thought were contradictory.

     When we are young, the way we express ourselves is influenced by our experiences.  A Nigerian woman named Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie delivered a TED talk named "The Danger of a Single Story."  Adichie explained that she read British and American literature with blonde and blue eyed characters who ate apples and commented on the weather.  Reflexively, Adichie would right stories about blonde and blue eyed characters even though her community was not made up of any of these individuals.  Adichie noted,"What this demonstrates, I think, is how impressionable and vulnerable we are in the face of a story, particularly as children. Because all I had read were books in which characters were foreign, I had become convinced that books by their very nature had to have foreigners in them and had to be about things with which I could not personally identify." It is fortunate that Adichie went on to discover new things, or else she would still be writing about white children eating apples commenting on the weather.  It is through our exploration of the unknown that we may heighten our understanding of our community and ourselves.

     In a news story from Christianity Today titled "Creation of Evolution? Yes!", Francis S. Collins, head of the Human Genome Project, was interviewed concerning his thoughts on his Christen faith and Darwin's theories.  Collins noted that God is not limited by space or time and he finds that our discoveries of the evolutionary creative process are completely in line with the Scriptures.  Collins was then asked, "If evolution is true, don't atheists have a point?" Collins then answered, "No...This leaves out profoundly important spiritual questions, such as why we are here, if there is a God, and what happens after we die.  Those are questions that science is not really designed to answer. You have to look in another place, using another kind of approach. And for me that's faith."  To believe in evolution does not make one an atheist.  It can simply means that they consider evolution to be the path by which God took to create man.

     Considering this path has not been condemned by the LDS church.  In fact, the theory of evolution has been widely discussed as a possible means of the Creation among prevailing church members.  There have been several statements throughout the years that make it clear that man was created in the image of God, but it is unclear as to how Heavenly Father accomplished this.  In my poster, there is a Darwin fish and the angel Moroni kneeling down, extending an arm to the creature.  This depiction reflect my reconciliation between my faith and my belief in evolution and how they can work in tandem.  I chose the quote, "...all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have a love one to another" because if members are followers of Christ, they will be accepting and loving of our different beliefs.  So much hate crime has been produced out of disagreements among Christians and evolutionists.  It is a contradiction for members to hate people for their believes since Jesus so often preached the opposite action. Our prophets leave it open to our own interpretation of the scriptures and science to decide how humankind came about.  This open interpretation allows us to investigate avenues of understanding we may not have attempted to tread before.

     It is understandable that we parrot our parents' opinions when we are young.  However, as we mature and discover different patterns of thought, one must come to their own view of the world and how things have come to be.  The power of a single story is great, but the might of many stories is even greater.

a related poster

Come At Me Bro

Monologue...Loki "Puny God"...Desperate
FFXII Battle Music
Punching
Fight Me
Bruce Lee Yelling
Good is Dumb
Sword  Horse
Mr. Freeze and Magneto
DBZ
Joker Soundboard
Wilhelm

Unite
I'm sorry, Dave
There is still good in you
Wilson, I'm Sorry
Love means never having to say you're sorry
"Concerning Hobbits"
Beautiful Friendship

In most films, there is often a “good guy” and a “bad guy.” When these two forces of nature clash against one another, it is common for the antagonist to be killed off or rendered completely inert.  It is not often that we find these two characters reconcile with one another or work out their differences.  We examined this phenomenon within our Webspinna Battle and demonstrated that the villain does not always have to die in the end. It is better to take the peaceful path of reconciliation rather than opposition, a sentiment not often championed by popular media.

Our Webspinna Battle starred Melody Chow as the villain and Kyle Sawyer as the hero. We found audio clips to banter back and forth with one another, clips that were either said by beloved good guys or despised bad guys. These clips were not in our control as much as we would have liked, but this element of spontaneity and on-the-spot ingenuity were a fun element to the battle. Our Webspinna Battle took a non-violent position in regards to enemies. The audience who watched our Webspiina should realize that murder/killings do not have to be a part of a film's climax or resolution. Failure by the hero or the villain is not necessary; film can better portray reconciliation as a character either apologizes or comes together with another, rather than being simply killed off.

  In our creative process we first decided on what we were going represent, Heroes VS. Villains. Then we went our own way and compiled a bunch of material that we thought would be useful and came back together to discuss what we found. We gathered clips and sounds from YouTube and soundboards across the internet. After we compiled a great deal of clips, we found a theme that we could use as the reason for us to fight along with a great banter that would work well in the theme, which was a fight for freedom. However, in the end we wanted to show that they could find a resolution without fighting.     We were inspired by Pogo's work, "Upular" being the prime example.  We did not wish to make our Webspinna simply a cacophony of noise.  Like "Upular," our desire was to create something with a progression that made musical sense and did not leave the viewers wanting to plug their ears.  It was easy to see why DJ Spooky's "Rhythm Science" was amoung our week's reading since it was arranged just like a soundboard.  But what DJ Spooky utilized instead of sounds were definitions of words that had been arranged to delight the viewer.  We felt that our project would be different from DJ Spooky's work in that we would make our samples more cohesive rather than random.       
It is better to reconcile with one another before reverting to violence.  So often, this passive path is swept to the side as people are more in favor of a more aggressive road.  Our Webspinna Battle demonstrated that forgiveness and love among former enemies can be a climax in and of itself rather than an elongated fight sequence ending in a death.  "Upular" and "Rhythm Science" pointed out the importance of cohesion among our content. As we remix and create something new out of chaos, something unique is brought forth which may offer insight into what ought to be versus what is.

In a World...

by Drew Tekulve, Sarah Scadden, Hunter Stewart, and Melody Chow

"Dancetopia" 

     Before a baby learns to talk, they smile. Body language is a major part of human interaction that begins at infancy. In the world of Dancetopia, the only way by which people communicate is through body language. Dance is the sole form of self expression citizens use to interact with one another. Analyzing this aspect of Dancetopia causes one to reflect on communication on Earth. Dance and body language is an integral facet of communication on Earth, a fact that is made clearer through the exploration of Dancetopia.      
     Throughout Earth's history, political gestures have been made popular by the leading figures of government.  Dancetopia also features politicians with their own particular political gestures. The first scene in our short film is a presidential debate between two candidates – a strictly conservative female candidate and a passionately liberal male candidate. The conservative candidate has very closed-off and concise movements that are symbolic of her belief in having less taxes. The other candidate, however, demonstrates free, open movements that represent his willingness to happily be taxed and give in order to benefit of others.  In the country of Germany on planet Earth, Adolf Hitler required the Nazi salute to be performed by his citizens to indicate their loyalty to him. Richard Nixon used the V for victory sign as a trademark of his.  The presidential debate scene in the short film prompts one to reflect on how Earth politicians have used physical movements to rally their supporters and sway public opinion.    
     In Dancetopia, citizens are either of the upper class, the lower class, or the religious class. Those in the religious class differentiate themselves from society by physically altering their appearance. Religious Dancetopians dress all in white, decorate their forehead with a spiral, and move in a manner in which their bodies are directed either towards or in submission of the heavens. Religious people on Earth have similar practices. Jewish people wear prayer shawls to demonstrate their faith in God. Some Hindu people place a bindi ion their forehead to protect against demons. Individuals of all faiths worship God by bowing or orienting themselves towards the heavens in prayer. The religious dance ceremony in the short film mimics Earthling religious worship and shows the audience that worship on Earth can be viewed like a dance. Dance and body language are a prevalent part of our beings and touches on many characteristics in our lives.     
     Classes are distinguished from one another through their bodily "diction." The upper class of Dancetopia moves in a very elegant and smooth manner, while the lower class dances closer to the ground. As Earth, certain genres of dance are sometimes associated with a specific class of people. In Dirty Dancing, Baby was not suppose to affiliate with those who danced dirty because she belonged to the upper class. In Dancetopia, the varying forms of dance represent the individuals' social standing.  Dance can be a signifier of class status, a fact that is true in both Dancetopia and Earth.     
     In the final scene of the short film, we see a family unit at home eating dinner. In this particular scene, the strongest expression of emotion is depicted. This is very reminiscent of the music video for the song “Valtari” by Sigur Ros, in which two subjects communicate to one another passionately through interpretive dance (warning: there is graphic content in this music video). Emotions are strong and are only portrayed through dance. Similarly, in this scene, the father explodes in anger, which is represented through violent, passionate, and Footloose-esque movements.       
     Julian Bleecker had stated in her essay, Design Fiction, “[Worlds] are assemblages of various sorts, part story, part material, part idea-articulating prop…” Our world is designed through various observations that we have made. Earth is a potpourri of interpretations and thoughts, a product of experience. Similarly, Dancetopia is a product of our past associations with dance. Dance and movement on Earth communicates basic wants and desires that one experiences since infancy. Body language is key to communication on Earth, a facet of our society that is focused on in the world of Dancetopia.

I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar

"Cooking Terms ReMiXeD"

     Women are their own masters; they do not inherently answer to anyone.  Back in the 40s/50s, this was not the popular belief. Society deemed it indecent for a woman to act separately from her husband, the head of the household. Old commercials and shows depicted a life of complete bliss in which women always wore pretty dresses, had their hair done, and welcomed their men home with dinner ready and a drink in hand. After watching "Cooking Terms," an instructional video made in 1949, I identified with the subject Margie as she tried her best at being domestic, failing at times despite her good intentions. As I remixed this existing representation of what it means to be a successful woman, I made sure my protagonist eventually found her voice and departed conformity.
     When I first came to Brigham Young University, I began to feel a strong wish to become married. When I was young, I believed that I would not get married until 27, spinster age in Mormon culture.  I have never been one for conformity, and I know that a silent, submissive wife is someone I will never be.  "Cooking Terms" follows a newly married woman named Margie who attempts to bake a cake for her husband. Margie is mute throughout the duration of the film and a male narrator speaks for her. As I remixed this material, I needed my protagonist to find her own voice and break away from the male narrator. My protagonist starts off talking to her roommates, seeking their approval and is not yet heard. Only when she burns the potatoes does the audience hear her speak. She hurls the ruined food at the wall in frustration, further deviating from a path society would have liked her to conform to.  The narration is finally abandoned as the girl quits her cooking attempts in favor of cheap, quick Ramen.  The girl savors her cup of noodles in contented satisfaction, now in full opposition of what 40s/50s culture would have had her do.  She no longer has any ties to this culture of conformity; she is free.
     Through a process of signification, it was emphasized that there is an importance in questioning convention. Women cannot merely go along with the status quo, they must examine traditional thinking and decide for themselves whether or not to agree. Henry Jenkins noted that one must not idly consume media and become an inactive spectator rather than a participator, "John Ellis (1982), for example, asserts that broadcasting constructs a spectator seeking only to absorb television's 'continuous variety' without being fully absorbed into a narrative, a 'bystander.'"  In this same way, women must reevaluate their current station in life and break away from being a bystander. They cannot settle for soley being the referent, the object which exists in physical space from which meaning is derived. Women must become the signifier, the understanding of that object. We cannot simply be pretty faces in dresses who cook meals for our men. We must enjoy life outside of our relationships with men where we can discover our true essence and significance in the world.
     "Cooking Terms" was an instructional video meant to teach women how to be domestic. I have remixed it to express a message encouraging independent thought and self-fulfillment. I drew inspiration from Nico Vega's music video "Gravity." The music video has a highly stylized vintage look, with old black and white conformity how-to videos spliced in.  The lyrics are a call to action for the listener to defy gravity and act for oneself. Women have no masters, I have no master. We are our own free agents to make decisions, both good and bad.  In the words of the ever epic Joan Jett, "A girl can do what she wants to do and that's what I'm gonna do."

"Gravity" by Nico Vega

Becoming Tim

One

Two

Three

     People are influenced by the the things they experience in life, and they create works which reflect their reality. This is not to say that all artwork is unoriginal; artists find their own spin on existing mediums to fashion something new.  For this project, the focus was upon the medium of drawing.  Each sketch is modeled after a piece of work that Tim Burton has already produced.  Burton loves dark themes, and he places a great importance on the meaning of his drawings rather than having perfect line and form.  I created three pieces of art within the drawing medium which explored Tim Burton's style and the freedom of sketching. 

     In One, I combinied a scary element with a very feminine, soft element.  Much like Jack and Sally in The Nightmare Before Christmas, the evil pumpkin and flowering of spirals balance each other out just like frightening Jack and caring Sally.  The spirals in the drawing are heavily influenced by an element in this Tim Burton film. In the cemetery where Sally finds the Deadly Night Shade, there is a hill that can constrict into a tight spiral.  This piece, One, is a complete original, yet there is a history which precedes it.  Even before Tim Burton, the spiral had great cultural meaning behind it.  In ancient China, the spiral symbolized the Sun. Spirals have been drawn for thousands of years, and yet spirals can still be used in a distinct way.  Originality and uniqueness can still exist within the art community, as long as the work is coming from one's own hand rather than another's.  

     Two is a celebration of Tim Burton's famous sketch of Edward Scissorhands.  His drawing is somewhat creepy while evoking an emotion of pity. The shape of Edward is very long and skinny, a body type which I tried to have with Two. Instead of having scissors as hands, I drew super long, curly fingernails.  I had not gotten this idea from Tim Burton, but rather a Ripley's Believe It or Not Book which I had read back in elementary school.  Again, this drawing was drawn solely by me, yet I had help from past experiences to receive inspiration.  

     Many of Tim Burton's art pieces make a critique on human activity. In "Cupid's True Colors," a drawing done by Tim Burton, two lovers are shot through the head by an arrow Cupid shoots off. Looks of utter horror shows on the faces of the lovers, while Cupid has a devilish smirk running across his face. In Scott McCloud's "Show and Tell," the author comments on how "various individual artists of the modern era breached the frontier between appearance and meaning!"  Gathering from this, one can see that Burton's picture is not just of an evil Cupid shooting two lovers through the head.  In this drawing, Burton comments on how love has become so fantasized.  Love is wonderful, but it can be tragic at times.  In "Three," I made an attempt at breaching the frontier between appearance and meaning. "Three" is not just a funny picture of a broccoli contemplating eating a human leg for dinner. It is a reflection of ourselves and our consumption of food. When we eat dinner, do we just see the food as sustenance that will silence our hunger? Or will we glance at our roasted turkey and think of the life it once led?

     Working within the drawing medium gives a great amount of freedom to the artist to explore different possibilities. Perfect form is not necessary, and it is okay to make mistakes since this medium allows for it. It looked back on my past for inspiration, something that drawing naturally catalyzes me to do.  In Edward Alden Jewell's newspaper article, he noted that "...the quality of a civilization is largely judged and understood through its art." All people on planet Earth will leave some sort of legacy before passing on. It is important to think about this legacy and how one's lasting memory stems directly from the events of their past.

"Glasnost and the Guitarist"

by Drew Tekulve and Melody Chow

     In our piece, “Glasnost and the Guitarist”, we focused on a time in Russia when great cultural changes were taking place. During the mid 80s, Russian leader Mikhail Gorbachev instituted "Glastnost," an opening of the country to foreign influence.  Our script centered around Glasnost and how new foreign influence began to make its way into the country.  This unique era of openess contrast against the past closed off, isolated mindset of previous Soviet doctrines. 

      During our exposition and development of main character Pavel, there is a flashback to another time of great cultural upheaval in Soviet History. After World War II, hundreds of thousands of political dissenters in Russia were arrested and forced to labor in Gulag concentration camps. Many of these laborers lived normal lives before being falsely or purposefully accused of political dissent against the Communist party. Many of them would “disappear,” never to be heard of again. This specific time is well recorded by Alexandr Solzhenitysn, a political author who beautifully described this time period in his novel, “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich." The Gulag is  defined as the reader follows the difficult life of Ivan Denisovich Shkuhov.  Solzhenitsyn did a balanced job of mixing fact with fiction while still staying true to major historical events.  We tried to follow after Solzhenitsyn's example and measure the right amount of invention with reality.

     This flashback to a period of reclusiveness was contrasted against the rest of the plot which takes place during a period of openness. Up until the late 1950s, political dissenters were forced to work in Gulags because of their foreign ideas.  During the mid 1980s, Russia experienced an era of "Glasnost," or "openness."  People were no longer sent to the Gulags for thinking differently from the traditional communist doctrine, and new musical expression like Rock n' Roll made its way into the country.  "The Veil," by Marjane Satrapi describes another event in history which dealt with freedom.  Satrapi portrays the effects of the Islamic revolution in depth while remaining familiar and entertaining.  The author took much liberty when creating her historical story, a concept that should be reiterated as students produce their own account of an historical event.  In "Glasnost and the Guitarist," we took much liberty in fabricating multiple characters who were not based on any actual authentic figures from history.  This freedom allowed us to write a story in which we were not tied down to any set plot and gave us the option to explore many different destinies for each character.  

     Our script "Glasnost and the Guitarist" was derived from two happenings in history-- the institution of the Gulags and the opening of Russia known as Glasnost.  The attitude of Pavel towards this new Rock n' Roll music shifts from one of apprehension to an attitude of reverie.  He learns to open his heart to foreign things, much like his Mother Russia is doing with foreign influences.  We tried to balance out historical story with the right amount of fact and fiction while taking artistic liberty of the portrayal of events to make the past our own.    This customization of the past teaches us that history is subjective and can viewed differently depending on one's station in life.  

Eat. Love. Consume.

by Seth Owens and Melody Chow

Audio File

        There is nothing more quintessentially American than the supermarket. It is here where Americans can exercise their most pleasurable freedom-- the purchase of products. It was with this in mind that we determined to record the process of shopping at a supermarket. By assembling these sound bytes, we discovered and documented the power of consumerism over American society.
We begin our shopping trip with the one thing everyone needs: food. Starting from infancy, food becomes our most basic desire.  However, food has become, like almost all other products we consume, a mass produced commodity that we see only in its final form. In "The Smokehouse," Rohan Anderson builds a smokehouse to prepare his own food. Every cut of meat comes pre-packaged, vacuumed sealed, and declared as "farm fresh."  This marketing ploy has hoodwinked our nation into believing the products are naturally produced and organic.  This lie is fed to citizens at a very young age, and is constantly applied to them throughout their stages of life.  
        As our process piece continues, we enter the toy aisle. The marketing strategies here are geared towards young children using playful music and loud noises.  From a tender age, kids want the latest, newest, and best toys. The new, shiny toys whisper promises of fun and adventure if they are bought and played with.  They convince our children that they must have the newest toy in order to be happy.  This pattern of thinking is not only observed in the prepubescent stage of life, but during the teenaged years as well. 
        We continue past the children’s toys towards the electronics section. We mature out of children’s toys and move on to video games and movies. Movies, music, and video games litter our houses, and take up most of our time. Tirupathi Chandrupatla writes in his poem “Himalayas” of the ranges where the gods reside. No longer do we revere the ranges of the gods, but instead we worship the palaces of technology that store the latest model of Nintendo console or newest iPhone series.  People will camp out over night at an Apple store in anticipation for the "next best thing."  Little do these consumers know how tangled they have become in a web of lies and marketing ploys.
        We finish our process with the sounds of the purchase; the satisfying beep of the checkout scanner blares and we are free to leave the store, shopping cart laden with food, toys, and electronics. Our child is delighted by gifts that have been bought for them, and we ourselves are happy with the purchases made.  Consuming is our happiness and happiness is our consumption.  The process depicted in this project is meant to act as a mirror for our lives through which we can analyze our guzzling nature.  To staunch our consuming desires, we must recognize the deceptive strategies used to trick shoppers into products.  Once one understands how one is being deceived, one will learn to ignore the brainwashing messages used today and overcome their gluttony.  

     During our audio piece, "Eat. Love. Consume.," subtle, quiet words like "fresh," "new," and "next generation" are heard.  They are said in a monotonous, computer-like tone reminiscent of HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey.  We included these sound bytes to act as the subliminal messages found in persuasive media today.  These sound clips are used in the same way the lyrics of "Fitter Happier" by Radiohead are stylized.

"Fitter Happier" by Radiohead

Rebellion vs. Conformity

Honor Code Notice: Men must now shave their eyebrows.

"ANNA, SHUT THAT RACKET OFF!!!"

The last of the sunlight trickled over the horizon.  The workers headed home.

He told her to put on lipstick. So she did.

Jonestown- Nov. 18th, 1978: 918 die when forced at gunpoint to drink cyanide Kool-Aid.

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     Throughout history, there have many major instances of rebellion and conformity.  Institutions like government and schools desires to have its citizens abide by their laws.  But when these rules are delineated from, a small revolution has been sparked.  Rebellion incites change while conformity encourages complacency.  In these tiny stories, rebellion and conformity are discussed and represented in picture form.

     Honor Code Notice: Men must now shave their eyebrows. I had wanted to come up with a funny tiny story that poked fun at the Honor Code. Yet, it is serious in motive.  I wanted to question what would happen if BYU's Honor Code really were to change, who would comply with it and who would not?  Would there be punishment for rebellious behavior, or would we just be barred from the Testing Center? Today, some individuals (men in particular) find the Honor Code strict enough.  They will grow their luscious beards out during the summer, enjoying their masculinity at its peak.  Yet, these men will return to school in the fall baby-faced for they can no longer relish in the splendor of their own facial hair.  If men at BYU are so willing to rid themselves of their beards, would not they be just as compliant to shaving their eyebrows?

      "ANNA, SHUT THAT RACKET OFF!!!"  When I was in middle school and high school, I vented out my anger using music.  I would come home, blast me some My Chemical Romance or Sharkspeed, while pretending to Joan Jett on guitar.  My mom would be banging on my ceiling from upstairs, yelling at me to keep it down.  This use of music as rebellion has been used throughout history, but during the 20th century, music took on a knew role.  Rock and roll had just entered humanity's consciousness, leaving girls breathless as they screamed and fainted over artists like Elvis and the Beatles.  During the 60s, music became a point for spreading a message of liberation and of drugs, sex, and rock n' roll.  In the 90s, Nirvana came out with "Smells Like Teen Spirit," which was dubbed the "anthem for apathetic kids."  During the 2000s, we have seen a transformation of the content in songs.  More explicit lyrics are allowed, and now homosexuality is openly talked about with singers like Lady Gaga and Macklemore.  Music has been one of mankind's most powerful tools in shattering social norms with consequences which affect generations to come.

     The last of the sunlight trickled over the horizon.  The workers headed home. World War II had a great impact on society in America.  Suburbia was forming, consisting of uniform, pastel houses, white picket fences, and a lawn.  The men worked from 9 to 5, coming home expecting dinner to be made.  The men kept their heads down at work to hold on to their job and provide for their family.  This is a positive example of conformity in which people are following the rules not just for the benefit of themselves, but for the betterment of their family. However, men encouraged certain expectations of women which would soon be broken as feminism comes along.

      He told her to put on lipstick. So she did.  A wife and husband are leaving for a party. He tells her to put lipstick on, even though she has already prepared herself.  The wife is tired of his nagging and constant ordering around, and she decides to not obey his orders.  This picture is related to the second wave of feminism when women still held on to their femininity and took on more "masculine" roles.  It was only upon the return of their soldiers when women were forced back into their kitchen, a position they now felt was not the only one they could fill.  Women could work just as well as men, and began drafting their demands for an equal nation.  Their rebellion has resulted in more equal pay for men and women, an acceptance that woman can be doctors, and the legalization of birth control and other female rights.

      Jonestown- Nov. 18th, 1978: 918 die when forced at gunpoint to drink cyanide Kool-Aid. Jim Jones led his Peoples Temple congregation to Jonestown in search of utopia.  The only thing the members were met with was paranoia and death.  It is a grave assumption to presume that all of the members willingly partook of the cyanide laced Kool-Aid which was administered to them as a way to accepted life.  Jones' Red Brigade patrolled the area, ensuring that the members took their poison or feel the same wrath that befell the murdered Congressman.  Unfortunately, there was not great uprising to resist Jones' wishes.  There were even some extremely willing to drink the Kool-Aid; mothers with infants were some of the first to end their lives.  But some suggested alternative routes to death while children cried and screamed in protest. Unfortunately, only a fraction of the congregation survived, but let it be known that the residents of Jonestown were not all blind sheep walking to their own slaughter.

     This series of photos compares and contrasts rebellion vs. conformity and the effects therein. This it the uniting theme throughout and is visually represented by having all of the pictures black and white except for one color burst.  It has been seen throughout time that complacency does not garner change, only rebellion can.

Music Mosaic

"So Long, Lonesome" by Explosions in the Sky

     Explosions in the Sky is one of my favorite bands. My older brother Dan gave me their album All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone when I was in middle school. Unfortunately, my immature preteen self could not handle the epic awesomeness of the melodic soundscapes Explosions created. Finally, in high school, my underdeveloped mind had ripened to the point where I could bask in the glory of their music and understand the progression of each song. I chose "So Long, Lonesome" because it had the simplest story. When I listened to this track, I imagined "Lonesome" to be embodied by a a friendless boy who lives in a black in white world. He discovers a portal through which he travels to a different dimension where a sun burns orange, yellow, and gold. In awe of the new world around him, the boy explores and comes across a bunch of red balloons which take him to the skies. He soars to the moon and spots another portal through which he returns to his world. Elated by the journey he has taken, the boy shares his experience with his black and white Earth by spreading the colors he observed on his walk-about.

     I achieved this music mosaic using 5x7 canvases and oil paints. It was a very tedious process as I made various mistakes, smudging black over the white areas, the sun, and my face.  I wanted the boy's home to be made up of straight lines to show the unnaturalness of the landscape.  His world is void of color to reflect the lack of happiness he feels.  The boy takes a leap of courage and lands himself in a realm that is closely tied with nature. Note the absence of straight lines and scarcity of black-- I avoided these so as to make this new world feel organic and alive.  My paintings turned out basically how I wanted them to, except for the last one. I wish I had not painted the square sun on the canvas, but then again, the sun helps viewers orient themselves back into the boy's original world.

     "So Long, Lonesome" is but one of the many great songs from Explosions in the Sky. Their masterful orchestration of guitars, cymbals, drums, etc, tells a universal story of humanity that is relatable to all. Check out "The Birth and Death of the Day." You won't regret it.

Thinking and Writing

            Carpe diem! Life cannot be fully enjoyed if one does not jump up and experience it.  This sentiment is communicated throughout the film Dead Poets Society (Peter Weir 1989) as a group of teenaged schoolboys are taught how to embrace life by their enthusiastic English teacher Mr. Keating.  Dead Poets Society is set in the 50s, a time when conformity among youth was prized above individual thought.  Symbols arise as the boys try to find their own way to seize life.  Actor Robin Williams portrays Mr. Keating with the perfect balance of humor and drama, while actor Robert Sean Leonard delivers a believable performance as father fearing student Neil Perry.  The push against 50s conformity, symbols, and the actors’ performances emphasize the need for one to consciously take the road less traveled by and celebrate life.

            During an age when the government was cracking down on any foreign idea, the education system of America strove to churn out law-abiding citizens who would enter the work force and keep their heads down.  Conformity is highly valued at Welton Preparatory School and is even one of the school’s tenants.  This was a time when nontraditional ideology and thought were gravely frowned open and subsequently silenced.  In opposition to this, the boys at Welton begin to go against the grain as they form a club through which they can “suck the marrow out of life” and enjoy a break from discipline and rules.  They name this club the Dead Poets Society after the group Mr. Keating had formed while he was at Welton.  The boys sneak out at night, deceiving their teachers who believe them to be in bed, and convene in a rock hollow to smoke, drink, and read thought provoking poetry.  This poetry has an effect on the boys who gain courage to reach for things they never before dared to reach for.  Against the wishes of his father, Neil Perry participates in “Midsummer Night's Dream” while Knox Overstreet tries to win over the girl he loves with a poem.  The poetry Mr. Keating shares and his words of taking control of one’s destiny ignite and desire in the boys’ hearts to follow their dreams and go against convention.  This push against conformity depicted in the film reflected the change of ideology of the 60s.  The youth of America was liberated as freedom reigned amongst the youth.  Drugs, sex, and rock n’ roll became the mantra of this generation, a mantra which the boys at Welton put into practice in their Dead Poets Society, listening to the radio, smoking, and studying the lessons not from their school masters, but from the literary greats of the past.

            The acts of rebellion the boys performed were laced with symbols.  As Society member Charlie Dalton becomes increasingly unruly, he paints his skin red and takes on a new name, “Nuwanda.”  The color red signifies independence, and red is seen more frequently as the boys disobey authority.  Ignoring the orders of his father, Neil dons a crown of twigs and red berries to perform as Puck in “Midsummer Night's Dream.” The color red is seen yet again as Neil abandons his subordinate nature and acts on his own desires.  The crown of twigs and red berries is seen again as Neil is about to commit suicide.  No longer able to cope with an existence dictated by his father, Neil wears the red crown just before he takes his own life.  He resembles Jesus crowned with thorns, although Neil dies for his own convictions rather than for the sins of others.  Rather than die as a martyr, Neil commits suicide, an act some may view as selfish.  Neil’s suicide can be seen as the ultimate act of independence as Neil separates himself from his authoritative father by entering the afterlife.  The red observed in Charlie’s paint and Neil’s crown symbolizes rebellion and a divergence from conformity.  Mr. Keating told the boys to “seize the day” and the color red symbolized the boys’ failed attempts take their lives by the reigns and discover their own paths.

Actor Robin Williams expressed this message of carpe diem as he played Mr. Keating in Dead Poets Society.  His performance was filled with improvised hilarity and deep, emotional drama.  Williams was able to act the part as the enthusiastic, witty English teacher without overshadowing the depictions of the other actors.  Williams received his second Academy Awards nomination for his performance in Dead Poets Society and rightly so.  Williams gave the film the kick it needed to be entertainingly meaningful as Williams eloquently quoted Whitman and Elliot while making the audience laugh with his impression of Marlon Brando as Mark Anthony and John Wayne as Macbeth.  Robert Sean Leonard was another actor who could not be overlooked.  He was the standout actor among the schoolboys and believably transformed his character from an authority heeding model student to a boundary pushing risk taker.  Unfortunately, Leonard’s character Neil could not successfully “seize the day” and stand up to his father.  To escape his situation, Neil commits suicide, a scene which Leonard plays out with the best hints of sympathy and desperation.

            Dead Poets Society challenges its audience to go against the grain and think for themselves.  The symbol of red throughout the film signified the boys’ acts of rebellion and attempts at seizing the days.  Although not all of them came to a complete understanding of carpe diem, they learned in the end how to stand for what they know is truth.  Robin Williams and Robert Sean Leonard were brilliant actors who strengthened the film to make it both witty and deep.  Choosing one’s own path in life may be a daunting task, but an action that is necessary for a positive existence.