Student 25

(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 was an example of art as self-expression. My project was in the shape of a box. The outside of the box represented the way that most people see me. The outside was covered in felt. Felt is a very soft but not too soft. I am friendly to people who choose to talk to me I am not outgoing or overly friendly. The colors were chosen from the Yoruba ideas of color. The felt was tan, brown, and a dark green. These colors are earthy and practical. The felt was cut into strips and placed horizontally. Horizontal lines represent calmness, shyness, and peacfulness. People generally see me in this way. If one was to get inside of the box (which very few do), they would encounter a wall that I've built in order to protect myself. I symbolized this through the use of a smaller box made out of wood. Wood is very hard and difficult to break through. I tried to paint the box to lock somewhat like a stone wall. I painted the box with light blue and silver, again using the Yoruba idea of color. In order to keep my vulnerabilites hidden and therefore protected, if someone gets too close, I become cold and emotionless. There were openings that allowed someone to see that there is something beyond the hard outer wall. The openings contain jagged ends because if someone tries to get in I can become abrasive and harsh. The inside of the box is my true nature which I am uncomfortably allowing people to see. I lined the inside of that box with cotten. Cotten is very soft and it also is easily damaged. It does not take much to tear it apart. I have a soft, loving nature and I am extremely sensitive. I get hurt very easily. Also, inside of the box, there is a pink water balloon. Pink is a bright, happy color yet, it is not overly bright or eye-catching. It is not something that would dominate a room. The water balloon is easily manipulated and pushed around to form different shapes. However, if you push is too hard or too much pretty soon it will burst. I am much the same way. I tend to take things from people, never letting them know that I am upset, until I loose my temper and explode.

(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 was very inspired by the idea of the fact that many of us show different things to different people. Often the mask that we wear around is not how we really look. I do that. I do not allow people to see my true nature. Therefore the outside of my box was different from the inner most part of my project.

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

They all seem to believe that the self is something that is special to each and every person. It also is something that has nothing to do with the physical. What makes a person who he or she is comes from something much deeper than that.

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

The Asian view believes that every is basically good. They are a part of the divine. The Rilke point of view seemed to state that everyone's truest self is ugly and scary. It is something that no one really wants to see.

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

I basically just focused on the idea that what one sees is not always what one gets when it comes to some people. Even though it may sound like a paradox, I do not believe that the core of every person is good or bad. When someone is open with me, it doesn't scare me. What scares me is other people seeing my vulnerabilites.

(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?

No. I don't believe that anyone can really define what the self is. Perhaps you could describe what it is to a certain degree. However, some things just aren't able to be described or ascribed to certain words or adjectives. Also, perhaps none of us really know what goes into making us who we are.

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