Progression Essay One Teacher Draft

Ruiz, Brianna

English 115

Professor Linda Overman

September 16, 2012

Eye Spy

            I’ve always had a fascination with art. Whether it was in painting, literature, music, etc., I found a common ground where I can appreciate the work and what was being said. Over time I learned that there were reasons as to why an author or artist created a piece. There was a reason, or event that triggered the artist, author etc. into feeling the need to create a message. It was through those messages that I was able to further understand the artist and learn that no matter what, there is emotion in work. There is always a reason as to why a book, painting, poem, etc. is created and there’s a certain feeling the creator is trying to convey to his/her audience. Whether it’s a sense of tragedy or joy, whether you can feel it or not is based on your perceptive ability to read a piece in depth.

            It’s true, at least I believe so. As I began writing the summary I noticed my enthusiasm for writing was because of the connection I felt towards Mann’s pieces. Prior to writing I had divulged myself into researching more of her art work, to see if there was anything else I could gather than from the few photos provides in Convergences. Further into my little quest I came to understand her reason for capturing these images and, in some mystical way, I felt the emotion of what I presume to be what she felt looking at her children. I can not fully understand the feeling, not unless I have children of my own. However, I have a dog who’ve I owned since she was a pup and I have worked in the childcare industry. I look at my dog as my little girl, my own little me even though she’s an animal and when I look at how she’s grown I get a feeling I can only imagine a mother looking at her teenage child goes through. That understanding alone I believe has opened me up into letting me experience different pieces that as a young adult I wouldn’t have been able to otherwise.

            Thrusting myself into the world of literature as a child helped open my eyes into seeing the emotion behind any kind of work. I was able to comprehend what was trying to be said and actually feel what the author was writing about. In a way, I put myself within the book and understood the purpose of it. After reading a variety of books of different genres and doing this, I came to have an open mind. I was able to connect to a work and slowly but surely vibe with it. In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe I was able to live with and go through Okonkwo’s struggles as his traditional world turned upside down with modern values. As Spark Notes summarizes, in the story “Okonkwo is a wealthy and respected warrior of the Umuofia clan, a lower Nigerian tribe that is part of a consortium of nine connected villages, including Okonkwo’s village, Iguedo” (par.1) however, as Christian missionaries travel to their land he feels the traditions of his culture become buried alive as the men spread their word on God. As I read along I was able to feel the loss and pressure of being cornered as the customs and values he once held so dear were stripped from him with ease causing him to spiral into an aggressive downward spiral of depression. Being able to comprehend the heartache and feel it ooze out of the pages was something I thought was amazing. Being able to receive the grieving Okwonkwo’s burdens made me feel as though I understood the author and had taken a glimpse inside his mind.

            The biggest influence I’ve had to shape the way I think about the idea of emotion behind work is having experienced it first-hand. I sketch and I draw, I’ve created a little book of my own and in the beginning of all these pieces I find the biggest drive is the emotion I feel behind an idea. Anyone who’s written a story, listened to music, written a letter, or painted has experienced the passion within a simple concept. They’re moved by whatever it is that’s happened to them and begin transmitting those feelings into their work. Whether you’re on the receiving end or the one offering, you can sense the intensity in a piece. Most people experience this when they listen to music. When you’re having a bad day, you vibe with a song that explains your situation and are able to feel the true meaning of what is being sung. Some people even have playlists set so they can listen to them when they’re feeling a certain mood. If you’re going through a break up you’d probably lean into listening to some Taylor Swift as she sings of past romances and their not-so private endings such as “Forever & Always” in her album Fearless. Or maybe you’re just having a fantastic day and feel like listening to Ace of Base’s song “The Sign” simply because the beat is something you can dance to joyfully. This is a common yet powerful example demonstrating the ability of feeling emotion through a piece of art because there is not one person who can say they haven’t gone through it.

Having been able to go through different encounters and reading about various events in history at a young age and being able to convey messages of my own, I became open to the idea of emotion behind a work a long time ago. It’s enabled me to see things from different perspectives, and look at things in depth. When I read or look at an art piece I feel the emotion portrayed within it. Being able to capture these emotions is as old as time itself but it doesn’t come naturally to everyone. As I observed through reading the criticism on Sally Mann’s albums I notice this. In my opinion it was almost as if they took a quick glance and began judging. People didn’t take the time to see beyond the photo, to see the meaning that she was trying to convey. They became blind to her purpose and instead saw something society judged as wrong. This showed me and taught me that not everyone is as sensitive to art as much as others are. People are all different and have a variety of talents which isn’t a bad thing.

No matter what, everyone feels it. Whether you’re listening to some Taylor Swift after a bad breakup or painting a meadow because the scenery was beautiful today, you’ve connected to that work. You’ve felt a spark that caused interest within you and personally felt what you saw or heard be it anger, happiness, or sorrow. One way or another you received the message the creator was trying to convey because it is there, it’s in pieces of art, literature, or music in your everyday life.

Work Citied

Morrison, Blake. "Sally Mann: The Naked and the Dead." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 28 May 2010. Web. 16 Sept. 2012.

<http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2010/may/29/sally-mann-naked-dead>.

"Sally Mann." Sally Mann. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2012.

<http://sallymann.com/selected-works>.

"Things Fall Apart." SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2012. <http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/things/section1.rhtml>.

"Fearless (Taylor Swift Album)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 25 Sept. 2012. Web. 25 Sept. 2012.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fearless_(Taylor_Swift_album)>.

"The Sign (song)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 25 Sept. 2012. Web. 25 Sept. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sign_%28song%29>.

Exercise 3

Dear King,

            Everything’s changing in the modern world, and as we’re experiencing right now things are changing within our own worlds as well. I found a way we can better understand the situation that we’re in which was to compare Sally Mann’s work to Akeisha Nabeta’s letter to Rush Limbaugh. They both are courageous people that forced people to view things differently even though it seemed negative at first, which is what we need to start doing.

            In the letter to Rush Limbaugh, Nabeta explains her admiration for Limbaugh’s different yet unique approach to his opponents. Saying his assertive nature is something she praises since most people typically let others finish giving their opinion before debating. Yes, he may not have factual evidence to support himself but he is able to make people think twice. To make people question themselves even! He was able to enlighten Nabeta and change her opinion on a situation. He was able to state what he wanted to and take the criticism.

            Sally Mann viewed things in a different light, too. Perhaps she is a better example of opening your eyes and mind than the last. Looking at her photos for the first time anyone would be doubtful. Most viewers considered her art pornographic and even went as far as to claim it as evidence of bad parenting. However, taking a deeper look you can see that she’s aggressive taking an approach to childhood that I’m sure all parents are afraid to face. Like Limbaugh, she forces those who gaze upon her work to grip things, experiences in an entirely new way. The messages that she conveys are also ones that are present but people turn a blind eye to. She expresses the lurking realities of adulthood through black and white photos of her children during hot summers. These photos often depict her children nude, which immediately turns people away but a deeper look into it you realize that the lack of clothing is symbolic to the freedom children have. The art Sally Mann feeds us teaches us that sometimes we have to see things we don’t want to see, no matter how innocent the subject is.

            Both pieces open the readers’ eyes to a whole new perspective. It’s almost as if a door has opened up. Whether it is true or not, we need to discover what is being shown to us. Once that happens, we will have a better understand of another person, or maybe even the world. Both Mann and Limbaugh demonstrate the sense of ignorance in human beings that we need to overcome. They both strive to steer people away from the common narrow minded views that we are grown into and shows us something that our conscious pushes away indirectly. We must do the same in our situation and look at things entirely differently. Instead of seeing the situation Princess is in as something negative and maybe even a little distant, we should try to view it as a new beginning to her journey. Maybe even as a new person leaving an old road.

Sincerely,

Brianna Ruiz

Exercise 2

Dear Sally Mann,

            The bravery in your albums Immediate Family and At Twelve is simply profound. The non-traditional use of your camera to capture the air surrounding your children is alluring in a way that most individuals can’t grasp. The black and white photos allow for the audience to focus on the content of the photos instead of being busied with the different colors. The controversies around your works are certainly reasonable; no one person wants to embrace a mother who uses her children, all of her children, for art. The opinions seem to be coming from a broad perspective, instead of taking the time to admire the little, if not hidden details. It’s occurred to me that most negative critiques come from a parental viewpoint, seemingly neglecting the art aspect in which you put all your efforts.

            As a fellow artist, and open minded individual, I am able to grip the charm you use to convey a deeper meaning behind the surreal images you capture. I also am able to understand a bit of that message, the subtle yet ever so present realities that provoke criticism in your work.

            The confronting gazes your children offer elicit a domineering presence, almost daring the viewer to make a remark about their nature as seen in the photo titled “Doubts and Pouts” where a small Virginia, arms crossed, stands in front of the camera. The closed postures, the solemn faces, and even the ever so ‘grown up’ objects like that of your photo “Candied Cigarettes” that sometimes pop up give an air of experience. Your children wear stern expressions as I have seen only on the faces of those troubled with the shadows of reality. It’s as if their innocent facial features betray their adulterous body language and spark an inner conflict that only the viewer can attempt to find clarification from. They warn the gazer to take cautious steps so as to not disturb the fleeting momentary feeling of peace that seems to be so hard to find. Never before have I seen those features worn on a child, even for a split second. It seems almost unreal to me that children are even able to make those expressions which further captures my admiration for your work.

            Before reading Jessie’s overall opinion on living in your work, I was a bit doubtful myself about the way you went about things. I questioned myself as to whether it was alright for your children to be seen that way when they’d not given actual permission. Under normal circumstances the subject being photographed would have had to have given consent to the photographer to be able to put him/her under that light. To be exposed thoroughly like that is something a person would have to be comfortable with from the beginning. Then again, they’d be old enough to understand the situation. However, I came to realize that although each of your children handles the publicity differently, neither of them reject your ideas. They came to embrace the art world you thrust them into and as Jessie says it has indeed become a part of their lives.

            All in all the permission, even if received almost years later unwillingly, is given then there is no sense in arguing.  Your work is marvelous without a doubt and your children were the perfect models to be dazzled with. I have been enlightened and maybe even inspired by your albums, as I have been introduced to a new world of courageous art.

Sincerely,

Brianna Ruiz

Freewrite 2

After reading the article, I feel as though the photograph is portraying the soon-to-be realities of adulthood through a mere child. In an essence it’s foreshadowing what is to become of Jessie Mann by enabling her to “smoke” a candy cigarette.

                I’d caption this photo as simply “22 in 12” because of the conflicting age portrayed within the content of the photo.  Jessie is a young child in the photo no more than thirteen years but her gaze and posture indicate otherwise. To me, her structure oozes with the realities of adulthood, as if she’s mentally lived longer than her age. She seems to be grown up, her statue poised as if the act of smoking has become routine. Therefore, it's as if she was born an elder woman in an infant's body. She's 22 living in a 12 year old's body.

Freewrite 1

As far as accents go, pronunciation doesn’t matter primarily because the person(s) can’t help it. However, I do think that pronouncing someone’s name differently than that preferred of is like having another name altogether. My opinion on this is based solely from experience.  I’ve had my name mispronounced on several occasions and various times I wouldn’t acknowledge the individual simply because it wasn’t the way I was used to hearing it. In my mind, the different pronunciation led me to think that there was someone else with the same name who pronounced theirs differently. The way you pronounce someone’s name is also based on spelling. I’ve encountered another girl with a name very similar to mine, but one letter change in her name turned the pronunciation of it into something I had never heard of or would’ve thought of! My name, Brianna, is pronounced Bree-ana whereas hers (spelled Breanna) was pronounced Bree-auna. Crazy, right?