Student 12

(question 5) In your own words, describe your self-portrait and the style of art it represents. Please try to explain your use of line, shape, color and texture and what is conveys to you.

My self-portrait is nonrepresentational art. I chose to use a box for my project because squares represent stability and practicality. I feel that I am a very stable person and that I first and foremost convey that to others. On the outside of the box, I attatched eyes. I put these because I am a very observant person and evaluate almost all that I see. Around the bottom edge,is a continuous wavy line. Wavy lines indicate that I am the type of person that just goes with the flow. I do usually tend to be a very easygoing person. The very bottom portion of the box is a frosty plastic. Through this, one can almost see the fuzzy, glittery puff balls in soft pastel colors. This means that my warm and sparkling nature is not hidden but not necessarily seen by all. I attached a styrofoam board to the underside of the white lid of the box. This board is painted yellow because I am a cheery and happy person. It is not solid though because just like everyone ! else, I have my bad days too. Affixed to the styrofoam board are some characteristics of me that not everyone sees. People think that I am transparant which is indicated by the clear box. But only the very tip of what really exists can be seen through the transparant part of the box.

However, once a person gets close enough to remove my lid, everything about me is served up on a nice little platter. All of my attributes are right there to be seen. The board is where all of these attributes are displayed. On either end of the board, are blue vertical lines. Blue is an intellectual and calming color and vertical lines once again represent stablility. In the center of the board and my life is an equidistant cross which is indicative of relationships. Surrounding this cross is a circle of green, yellow, and white puff balls. This means that I am nurturing, happy, and a bit naive in my relationships. The circle indicates the importance of my relationships to make my lif! e whole. Within the circle are also four spirals. The spirals indicate that all my relationships are forever changing and growing. Outside of the circle are some items that tell other details about my personality. The Timex paper is an instruction manual which symbolizes my need for order, discipline, and logic. The small wooden cooking utensils are important because they symbolize my nurturing side, my need to help others. The small rock is very smooth with no sharp edges but is hard too. This tells that I may appear smooth but I am also extremely strong.

(question 6)Please explain how you used ideas from the resources on the self we studied. Did you consciously use ideas from or react to any of the following resources in your self-portrait: the psychological theories of self? The Rilke discussion of "faces," "hands," or "costumes"? The Asian views of the self? The examples from art of non-representational self-portraits? Please clearly explain what ideas from these sources you integrated into your self-portrait and why.

I tried not to allow my physical being to be apparent in my self portrait because I was challenged when we talked about the self without the body. I feel that I have been very accustomed to identifying with my body and felt I should try to think beyond that. I kind of took from the portraits that we saw in class that what we see in our self portrait might not be what everyone else sees. Some may see my box as very chaotic but to me, each individual part is in order, just as I need it to be.

(question 7) In what ways do these different disciplinary resources agree with one another on the question of what is the self?

They pretty much all agree that the self is not what is necessarily what is put out for the public to see. The self is not something that can be found or pointed out by someone else but has to be found by that person. Some call it being self-actualized while others call it moksha. All the disciplines feel that finding the identity of one's self is a liberating and spiritual time.

(question 8) In what ways do they conflict with each other on the question of what is the self?

For instance, some believe that when you find your self that you begin to show that self to everyone---the public,your family, friends, even to yourself. The Hindu, however, believe that when you find your self, you become one with all souls and there is no you or me but only one.

(question 9) Does your self-portrait try to reconcile these ideas or did you choose a particular postion to convey? Why?

I chose to convey the idea that when I decide to face my true self, I can show it to everyone else. I chose this because I feel that most people do wear masks, including myself, which is why most people don't see but only tip of the iceberg of my personality.

(question 11) In our unit on the self, is there a right answer to the question of what the self is? If not, what is your reaction to our inability to provide a clear answer one way or the other on this issue?

Of course there is no right answer to what the self is. Each person is different therefore his or her self will be different from the next. If we could provide a clear answer to what the self is, then it would not be a true self but a uniform self instead.

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