Fade to Black: A Look Into The Impact of The Syrian War

Okay so this is a video made to demonstrate the struggle Syrian people (especially girls) are facing with the war.  My class was shown this video multiple times and was asked to explain what was going on, and what we thought the relevance of it was.

What's happening?

So this is a stop motion video.  Stop motion just means that it was put together through a series of pictures, not videos. The director of this short video is Amer Albarzawi, and the main female actor is Farah Presley. Throughout the video there are real people used to demonstrate the characters, and fake backdrops used to demonstrate the setting.  This video is about one minute long and revolves around one girl.  The music in this video starts off friendly and sweet, and quickly begins sounding dark and dystopic.  There is a real juxtaposition between the colors, themes, and sounds from the beginning of this video to the end. It is really dark and sad and defiantly leaves an impact on the viewers.

What influence has his video had on the media?  What do they have to say about it?

Youtube: "The uprising movement in Syria was stolen by the extremists , this short pixilation Film , tells how the Syrian people's lives turned to black, how their dreams were shattered, and how their future can no longer be thought of."

Toronto Urban Film Festival: "This short tells how Syrian people's lives have turned to black, and how their dreams were shattered. Everyone has become under the veil, even minds, dreams, and future."

PBS News Hour:

"The psychological toll of Syria’s war in one breathtaking minute"

As you can see, this video has had a real impact on the media and society.  But, why did these individuals decide to make such a touching video?  What inspired them?  

Read all about Amer's story here.  Reading about what inspired him to create this videos really helps me gain a better understanding as to what the meaning of this video is.  I like knowing a bit about the background of things before analyzing them, and this website gives a quick, but thorough summary of all the events that lead Amer to create this video.

So, what is the relevance of this video?  Why is it so important?  And what symbolism is in it?

The relevance of this video is quite simple in my point of view, I think that this video was created to show people that have never seen war what it is like to those who live there.  It is meant to give a third world perspective to first world people.  I don't know about everyone else, but when I hear of news of Syria, I always think of the murderers, dictators, and terrorists. I think of it as a cold war land; but this video shows what it's like for the people who aren't at war, this video shows the perspective of an average girl, one who has grown up in Syria, and now must face a new harsh reality.  Syria is a home to people, much like Canada is a home to me, and I cannot imagine what it would be like to feel unsafe in my own home.  I think this video was meant to bring attention to the average person, it was meant to expose the struggle of Syrians, and show that people are in pain over there too.  Not everyone in Syria is an extremist, or a fighter.  Not everyone wants to be at war.  Some people just want to live a normal life, and they are stripped of this dream because of where they live.

This video is important basically just to bring awareness.  Maybe after watching this video people will feel more welcoming to refugees.  There's not really much we can do, which is unfortunate, but it's true.  This video won't do anything, it's the actions of the people who watch it that will make a change, it's the people inspired be this video.  I don't really know what can be done at this point, I don't really think anyone knows.  We are sending help, accepting refugees, but it's not our country, and sadly that's about all we can do for now.

There was a lot of symbolism in this video, and I probably missed some of it too.  It starts off with a blue sky, sunny day, birds whistling, and a happy girl.  Clear blue skies are a pretty good sign that everything's going good.  Also, the music is calm and soothing, the girls hair is curly, and bouncy, and her clothes are bright.  She's looking all around basking in the beauty of the world and boom; thunder cracks.  Thunder is never a good thing, you know as the storm starts rolling in the whole story is going to change.  Dark clouds begin creeping in changing the once blue sky to grey and black, and the music changes, now it sounds dark. The girl begins to look worried and the screen goes black for a moment.  The girl still looks the same, a little sad but still wearing the same clothes, and the back drop is now completely black.  The fact that after all of that change the girl is still wearing the same clothes lets the viewer know that the change was quick, and no one saw it coming.  People yell at the girl and she begins looking sweaty.  A man puts a hijab around the girls neck and it appears that it is choking her.  It is denying her air like she is denied her rights, she is being choked with all these new rules, she can't breathe, and she stops fighting.  She lets the hijab cover her face and now they have taken her identity.  She is not the same girl who started this video, she's just another unrecognizable face.  She become coated in back and can't escape as the world become dark, all her hopes, dreams, and wishes are gone;trapped, just like her.  Her hand escapes for a moment almost crying for help, but no one else is around to help her, so she slips into nothing, all her aspirations gone, the life that she knew, gone.

Analyzing Ai Weiwei

Ai Weiwei, or 'Eye way-way' for anyone like my who can't decipher different languages like me, is a contemporary artist who has been around for quite some time.  I've never actually heard of him before, until a few days ago when my art teacher asked my class to look at some of his work.

Personally, I'm not a big fan of the artwork we are looking at, but I can see that there is a deeper meaning than its appearance.  So, we have been looking at this one collection that basically focuses on people who are going to, currently in, or were in jail, for reasons that are kind of controversial.  Obviously where they come from it is reason enough to put them in jail, but here, in places like Canada or the States, the reasons can seem kind of bogus.

I think that he does this work to bring attention to all of us who are generally not exposed to that kind of penalty.  I  think that Ai Weiwei wants to show us that many people are mistreated, and misjudged, and that what we hear on the news may not be the full story.  I think that he wants us to give these people a second look, he wants them to be recognized not as villains, but as civilians, with a right to start again, and have people understand there story, and how they got into a situation that landed them in jail.  I think that Ai Weiwei is not afraid of speaking his mind and testing authority.  He has a message; he wants us to see these people as more than just another face on the news, and really understand there background, and there story, and he is not afraid to put this message out there for the world to see.

So here are a few of his more recent pieces and little stories beside:

He really just writes a short blurb about each person, but it eaves a real impact on the reader.

Okay, so I get why he wants to share these peoples stories; freedom of speech, and people have a right to know.  But, why does he present them in this manor? Why does he pixelate all of his pictures and make them so colorful and weird looking? 

I guess everyone could hypothesize a different reason, and he probably has reasons of his own, but here's what I think.  I think that Ai Weiwei makes his pictures look so unrealistic and phoney because the charges that sentenced these people to there terrible fate are unrealistic and phoney.  It seems like authority just wants to show how much control they have over people and send them away just to prove it.  I think that he pixelates these individuals faces partially to protect there identity, but also to show that appearance isn't everything. The most powerful stories are told through understanding, sometimes a picture helps us understand, but in this case it is the stories of these individuals that help us sympathize with and feel sorry for them. 

 

Although this cannot do much, it can bring awareness to there situations.  I think that Ai Weiwei is trying to make life easier for these individuals after there jail time is served, he's doing what he can do to spread these stories, it may not seem like that much, but with when dealing with the countries and circumstances these people come from, there is unfortunately not much that can be done.  I think that Ai Weiwei makes these faces so bright with color to really draw attention to them.  I don't this that he does this art for personal recognition, personally, I think that these pictures look over done, and they are a little lame looking.  However, I must say that they cannot be ignored, when scrolling through any kind of social media website, which is where Ai Weiwei posted these pictures, the viewers eyes are always going to be drawn to these pictures, and I think that that is the point. 

 

The pictures are used as a diversion to get all of these mistreated convicts stories out for the world to read.  Anyone is allowed access to read about the injustice in other nations, and anyone can do what they want with this information.  For some it may be nothing more than table talk or food for thought, but for others it may influence a law based career path or encourage other freedom fighters to take a stand.  Ai Weiwei has found a way to inspire through tragedy, and he did so in a respectable, light-hearted kind of way. 

Paris Attack

I'm sure everyone's heard of the tragedy that occurred last Friday in Paris, the 'city of love'.  Terrorist groups attacked, and killed over 120 people, and seriously injured hundreds more.  This leads me to wonder, what does make us human?  Compassion obviously isn't a common trait amongst all people, or there would be no terrorism.  There would be no killing of innocent people for no reason.  I understand that there are a few twisted people in the world.  What I don't understand is how all of these people find each other, and dedicate there own lives to destroying others.  I don't understand how these attackers can feel good about themselves when they leave nations in tears.

Many people are touched after tragedies like this one.  Many people want to help, and want cities like Paris to know that it will get better, and that we are thinking of them.  However, not many people know how to show there sympathy.  Very few people know what to do, and don't know how to show that they are thinking of places like Paris.  On Friday night, I saw so many Facebook posts, most saying things like 'Pray for Paris', or 'So sad to hear about Paris'.  Seems like a small gesture for such a huge event, but we live in Canada, what can we do?  How can we show that we are truly sorry for what Paris is going through?  How can we connect with the world, and share our feelings with others?  How can we display our remorse in a way everyone can relate to?  It's a lot to wrap your mind around, however, a few individuals managed to do it.  A few speakers and artists managed to share there messages with the world through speeches, and art.

So, as all of you know, this is my art blog.  So, I'm going to be focusing on how art can display emotional messages and deeper meanings when tragedy strikes.

Art is a way that we can all express ourselves.  However, we are not all great artists.  We may all put the same dedication toward our work, and try to portray the same message, but lets be honest guys; some people just have a natural artistic talent, and are able to show meaning better than others.

Has everyone seen this image?

Since the Paris attack, this image has gone viral.  Many people don't know where it originated from, but they can all connect to it.  The artist, Jean Jullien, is beginning to get recognition from this piece. I think that this is defiantly the most widely shared image that people have used to show there own sadness about the attacks in Paris. 

Jean Jullien is a perfect example of an artist who used his own artists skills to connect with the world.  People have seen this image everywhere, this image sends a clear, thoughtful, respectful message.  Through his own artwork, Jean has allowed many other people to share this image, in a way that lets Paris know that everyone that is suffering is in our thoughts. But why does this stand out to so many people?  How has this simple image made it's way into the lives of so many?  

This image is clear.  It does not beat around the bush, it is the Eiffel tower intertwined with a peace sign; Peace for Paris.  People like a clear message.  When analyzing art, we may like to think a little deeper, but when it comes to showing our own sympathy, we want the message we send Paris to be clear.  This image is bold.  It is a harsh black color on pure white paper.  It stands out, when gazing over a page it catches ones eye.  It is appealing.  This drawing does not scream disaster or tragedy.  It does not show bloody images and leave the viewers feeling disgusted and angry.  It is pretty, it is sad because of the context of why this image was created, but it is still pretty, and focuses more on looking forward, and trying to heal, rather than getting revenge.  It send good vibes Paris' way instead of sending vengeance and hate toward the terrorists.  

Very successful piece of art to represent tragedy.  This image will always remind us of what happened in Paris on that awful night.  This is how artists can make a real impact on life, when I think of the Paris attacks, I won't think of guns, blood, or gore, I will think of this drawing.  This piece of artwork is simple, yet it sums up the awful events that took place.  This image has impacted so many peoples lives, and has been shared world wide.  That is how art can make a difference.  

I have to applaud Jean Jullien for his work.  It takes a really talented artist to think of something so brilliant, in such a short amount of time.  Given days, or weeks, I would probably over think the message I wanted to send, and end up having nothing to show for it.  But, Jean managed to come up with this within a few hours, and gave people a voice, he gave people a way to share there own message. 

Response to Salvador Dali Part 2

Okay so something really confusing happened today,  I made a post about Salvador Dali around a month to a month and a half ago, and somehow it magically disappeared.. weird, I know.  And, also very inconvenient.  So I'm just going to make a quick one to sum up my thoughts that unfortunately got erased.

So this is Salvador Dali for anyone who doesn't know who he is:



He kind of looks like a whacko, but he has painted some really neat art and came out with this little blub that I will be analyzing today... again.

"Because I am too intelligent to be a good painter, to be a good painter you've got to be a bit stupid"

So my art teacher asked my class to analyze this and say what we think he means, and state whether or not we agree with it.  First off, I just want to say that he defiantly should not be saying this, I had to do a quick Google search of him to get a better idea of who he was and how to respond, and he has some really amazing, and unique art work.  He takes something, an object like scissors or something, and makes them look like a dancer.  He brings life to inanimate objects in a really visually appealing way.  I really get the sense that all of his paintings hold a message, everything he does has a reason behind it.  And, maybe that's why he said this quote, because he feels that he puts too much thought into his paintings.  I don't think that doesn't make one a good artist though, I just think it might make them different than other artists. 

I do think that this quote is interesting though.  I think that it could mean a variety of things, so lets just travel together on my train of thought for this post.  Pretty sure my other post was more thought out and organized, but it's gone so you guys are just going to have to stick with me here.

What do I think this quote means?

I don't think that Dali actually means you must be stupid.  I don't really think that ones intelligence influences whether they are a good painter or not.  I think that this quote means that the best paintings are painted with one thought in mind, with one message, or feeling that is meant to be understood or felt.  I think that this quote means that a good artist must not be so critical, they must not be so precise.  They must let there raw emotion and feelings be evident though there artwork.  They must lose themselves in there painting, and allow people to understand there artwork on a deeper level.  I think that Dali was putting into simple terms what can be so complicated and misunderstood.  What makes a good artist?  It can be anything really, people favour different art then other people.  It's what makes us different.  However, no one likes an over-thought piece of art.  We all like to put ourselves into the artwork, we like to think who? What? Where? When? Why? And how?  We like to analyse, we like to discuss, we like to hate pieces, and we like to love others.  We like artwork that make us happy, and we admire artwork that makes us sad.  We like to feel something, and we like to be able to relate.  Artwork must be a bit mysterious, it can't be completely clear, it must be a bit 'stupid'.

Minimum Wage Artists: Something to Consider

Please visit this link to see what I am focusing this post on.

Midterms are here, the holiday's are quickly approaching, and there's no time to slow down.  Before we start our new art unit my class is doing a few quick responses to some popular art, articles.  Yesterday my teacher gave us this minimum wage artist article to read, and reply to, but I had no internet, so I'm doing it today!

So to sum it up, if you didn't read the article, it's basically this one guys opinion on how artists need to be paid more.  People take advantage of artists starting there career, and pay them brutally.  The author, Noah Bradley, wants to bring attention to this issue, and bring it to an end.  He says that being an artist is a job, and artists should be paid like any other job.

Now what do I think of this? How does this article contrast with what I know about artists? 

We've all heard of starving artists, but we've also all heard of millionaire artists selling each piece for hundreds of thousands of dollars.  Is this unfair?  I don't know.  I agree that some artists probably get taken advantage of.  But doesn't everyone at some point?  Should you rely on society's standards, or should you create your own and live by them?  I think that every artist should be shown this article, every artist should know there rights, and feel comfortable talking about money with there employer.  I don't however, necessarily blame the employer for underpaying artists.  If you can get a good job done for cheap, why not?  Why would someone pay more money for something than they need to?

When I was younger, I used to babysit a lot.  I watched these 2 kids, and there parents would pay me 5$ and hour, I thought it was awesome.  I then stared babysitting this other family the paid me 8$ an hour for watching 2 kids.  I informed the other family that my rate had gone up and they said they wouldn't pay more then 5$ an hour, so I told them that I couldn't babysit for them any more.  A few days later I saw those two kids with another babysitter, but did I feel bad? No, because my time was worth more than that. 

If you don't stick up for yourself people will take advantage of you.  And, while starting out and making a name for yourself, artists may have to take a few bad gigs.  It is there choice what jobs they decide to take.  It is completely within there rights to ask for more, but it is also completely within there employers rights to decline them what they ask.  Is this fair? Probably not.  But that's life, life isn't fair, life takes hard work, and to get what you want takes time, effort, failures, and if your lucky, success.  Becoming an artist is risky, if one is ready to take a leap of faith and take that risk, then by all means, they should do it, but they shouldn't expect everything to be given to them.  They must accept the fact the they may not make it to the top, the most there pieces ever may be worth could be 100$.  This sucks, but it's the reality. 

You decide what you are willing to settle for, and if your not willing to settle for less than 100,000$ a painting, then you will either work your butt off, make connections, and work your way to the top, or fail.  The payout can be huge, but it can also be nothing.  I think that that is something artists must realize.

Me And My Good Pal Scream Sharing Some Fruit

So the other day a few of us were playing around with the green screen a bit, and we were trying to incorporate art pieces into #fruitSelfies, (another school was doing a project). Here's mine!

 

 

This was just a quick little optional project, but it got me more familiar with how the green screen works!  Which I think is really good since my class is heading into art history soon and we will be making some presentations, and this is defiantly on option for me!  I can see how using a green screen could get frustrating, but I would like to try it as it is way more fun than the usual power point or prezi. 

Poem Art Done At Last!

Alright everyone, it's been a long journey to creating the perfect painting to represent my song.  I am insanely picky when it comes to anything I do.  I like to be proud of my work, and that takes time an dedication.  I know I'm not a pro painter like my art teacher ;) (bonus marks), but I defiantly gave this painting my all over the past week and a bit.  I dedicated a good 6 hours to making it exactly how I wanted.  So, lets get going with the pictures! Because they're more fun to look at then listening to me go on and on about my process.

So me and Kylie got let into a secret room in our school dedicated solely to painting our painting because we are such responsible students :)  So this is the room we came into everyday to paint.

Step one: Step up my station.

This is where I was working for about a week.  I've never actually painted on an easel before so I have to say it was a good first experience!  I usually paint on the floor, but since this piece was so much bigger than I am used to, it was nice to be able to step back and observe it from farther away.

Step two: Paint my sky 

I added a picture of the mixed paint here because I thought it looked really cool, but also because this is always how I blend my paint.  I don't like completely blending paint because I think it looks too basic, I feel like leaving some untouched colors gives is more depth.  Next, I just slapped some paint on about half of my canvas.  I had a different idea for the bottom so no point in painting down there.

Step three: Add clouds

Here's my paint for the bottom half of the clouds, thought it looked kind of like a bird.  This also go my thinking, is this considered art?

This is right after I finished my clouds and a basic outline of the trees.  Do do my clouds, I mixed paint like I have shown above, and used a sponge.  I've never used a sponge in art before, and I really liked it for this.  I cant think of much else besides painting clouds that I could use it for but I thought it gave the clouds a really neat look!

Step four: Paint a valley

My original idea was to add a valley.  I liked the way the bottom half looked, and the way the top half looked, but I didn't like them together.  I thought that the bottom looked too abstract whereas the top looked too real.  I decided to carry on with it anyways and see if my opinion would change.  *In the second picture I began to add definition to my big trees, and a few small trees in the background using a super thin paint brush, (very time consuming!).

Step five: Just go with it!

First picture is first attempt, but I thought it looked too basic, so I tried to add something else to my mountains.  I liked it, but it wasn't quite right.  I was honestly considering leaving it because the difficult part about art is that once you change something, you can't go back.  But, I wasn't completely happy with it so I decided to change it! 

I decided to try to make a more realistic version of a night sky.  I liked the look of this better, but I still really wanted to incorporate mountains. 

So, I hated the moon and the mountains were too tall.  Great. It felt like I was working backwards. Time to paint a night sky again. 

In all honestly, I liked my first night sky a little better, but there was no way I could get it exactly the same, and I was willing to work with this.  I spread blue, black, purple, and pink paint all over.  Then when it was still wet dabbed it with a sponge with a bit of white paint to look like clouds or fog or something.  I then used the good ol'toothbrush trick to create my stars.  I still wanted mountains again, just lower this time. 

I outlined then with a thin paintbrush in case I changed my mind again. 

After I was happy with the shape, I filled my mountains in and added little trees all over them.  Now it was time for my moon.  I wasn't a real fan of the white moon last time, so I decided to try a black lunar eclipse style moon,

Nope, looks more like a black hole to me then a moon. 

That's better.  Last step: just wanted to add a bit more definition to the moon and put a few more clouds around it. 

Voila!

Final thoughts:  I am really happy with how it turned out!  I'm glad I tried out more than one option.  However, I still do like the look of the abstracty looking one near the top.  I with I would have played around with that a bit more before dismissing it completely. However, I do still really like this one.  Poem art=success! What do you guys think?