Temi Awosika & Diana Bissy-Aluko

"what makes the art"?

Hollywood/ highland station

The underground girl- designed by Sheila Klein (2000) - is a theatrical projected image that leads passengers into an undulating, organic and sensual station cavity. Creativity makes this art because it was designed to represent a girl underground. The image that represents the girl is metal- like flower between two underground train tracks.

Avalon Station

Portrait of my people #619- designed by Willie Middlebrook (1995)- photographic images of artists from the surrounding community and are featured in a large porcelain enamel mural on the lower level of the station. Experience and inspiration makes this art because the dominant image in this art is an African American and the portraits in the art are people.

Imperial station

Hide n’ seek- designed by JoeSam., (1993)- created in collaboration with local school children, giant painted figures play amongst the freeway columns. Imagination makes this art because the idea of school children playing hide and seek on freeway columns is very thoughtful.

Pathway to freedom- designed by Robin Strayhorn and Michael Massenburg (2002)- Concrete and ceramic tile benches honor important historical in the life of Rosa Parks. Experience makes this art, because this art was created honoring Rosa Parks historical impact, the idea of the bench represents the seat on the bus in which Rosa Parks refused to give up. The Concrete and ceramic tile portrays the seat’s strength.

The stairs with the bars has music notes imprinted on it, if one sings the song; they sing the Hollywood theme song. All arts were related to theatrical art, this explains what Hollywood is about. 

personal reflection

 Personally, going on this tour was a really fun experience. I liked the idea of taking the train and the shuttle. I was so delighted to experience what it  like to take the train, especially with other students just like me, who have never been on a train. Although, taking public transportations seems frightening, I was quite confident to know where our exact our destination was. My biggest fear at that moment was getting lost because there were so many students on the trip/ tour and it was a public event; which meant that other people will present there as well. It was very easy to get lost.
 The main thing I noticed about the majority of the art was: that they were theatrical; Hollywood related art, movie strips, music notes, cameras etc.  The art that stood out to me the most was the hide n’ seek painting at the imperial station, portraying giant images of school children playing hide n' seek, as one child covers his eyes counting while the others prepare to run and hide. The abstract image of each child on the freeway column was quite impressive.

I strongly recommend this tour/ trip because it shows the illustration of others’ ideas and creativity. One thing going on this tour taught me was: to always pay attention to where I am and know my destination and how to get there. After all, this tour made me really passionate about art, creativity and theater. I appreciate art. I believe that the world would not be the same without art. Not only does Art  express ideas and creativity but it can have an emotional and psychological effect. I would love to go for the rest of the tour over and over again. 

Author's Argument #3 (Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristoff & Sheryl Wudunn)

PRECIS.

            In Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl Wudunn’s book “Half the sky” (2009), chapters11 through 14, Kristoff and WuDunn explains the inequality towards women. The authors first use examples of women across the world; China and Congo, then they support their claim by using dialogues and direct interviews of some women- some which are victims. The authors’ purpose is to expose the inequality and unfairness towards women in general. Kristoff and WuDunn seems to have an emotional and concerned audience because they develop a passionate and informative tone.

VOCABULARY

·       Hudood (188): Islamic laws stating the limits ordained by Allah and including the deterrent punishments for serious crimes.

·       Profligate (193): recklessly prodigal or extravagant.

·       Retrospect (196): contemplation of the past; a survey of past time, events etc

·       Conciliatory (197): tending to win or gain. To make compatible; reconcile.

·       Forlorn (199): desolate or dreary; unhappy or miserable.

·       Excoriated (226): stripped off or removed skin. Denounced or berated severely.

·       Pernicious (228): deadly, fatal

TONE

Informative, Passionate

RHETORICAL STRATEGIES

·       Imagery: “A round faced woman with thick black hair that just barely peeks out from under her red-and-white-checked scarf, Saima is now a bit plump and displays a gold nose ring as well as several other rings and bracelets on each wrist.”(186). “Zainab Salbi is thin with olive skin and close-cropped black hair framing large, luminous eyes.” (216)

·       Rhetorical questions: “Does she buy from the local grocery store on credit? Does she pay utility bills?” (190) “So was it imperialism for Westerners to criticize foot binding and female infanticide?” (207)

·       Syllogism: “Because I always stayed in the house, I didn’t know other people and I was all on my own” (200)

·       Non sequitur: “A woman has so many parts to her body, life is very hard indeed.”(205)

·       Satire: “If culture were immutable, China would still be impoverished and Sheryl would be stumbling along on three- inch feet” (207)

·       Description: “Claudine is quiet, demure, soft spoken; her lips quivers occasionally as she tells her story in flat tones, but she is not obviously emotional” (214)

·       Telegraphic sentence: “Zainab was horrified.” (218)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• Is microcredit also referred to as microfinance?
• Why the chapters were mostly narrated and described rather than using dialogues?
• Is it possible that any woman in the world can be abused? Are there exemptions?

INTERESTING, MEMORABLE QUOTATION.

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world” (233)

Author's Argument #2 (Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristoff & Sheryl Wudunn)

PRECIS:

          In Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn’s book “Half the sky” (2009) Kristoff and WuDunn questions why women die during/at childbirth and suggests investing in education. The authors first supports their claim by using stories of young teenage girls dying at childbirth and an example of Angeline, a smart young girl who could not afford education. However, they answer why women die in childbirth replying that women die because their pelvis are probably not wide enough for birth passage, they also used Angeline’s story to create sympathy for a young smart girl without an opportunity to get an education she deserves.  The authors conclude that women are not viewed as a significant factor. Their purpose is to provide a persuasive plea for women treated poorly and to end such abuse. The authors seems to have an emotional audience in mind because they develop a persuasive and passionate tone.

VOCABULARY:

·       Sacrilegious (94): pertaining to the violation of anything sacred.

·       Galvanized (95): to stimulate or treat.

·       Colostomy (96): the construction of an artificial opening from the colon through the abdominal wall. 

·       Horrendous (103): shockingly, dreadful, horrific.

·       Eclampsia (106): pregnancy complication

·       Grotesquely (113): odd or unnatural in shape, appearance or character. bizarre

·       Postpartum (118): noting the period of time following childbirth; after delivery.

·       Unmitigated (152): unqualified or absolute.

TONE:

Informative. Emotional. Persuasive.

RHETORICAL STRATEGIES:

·       Satire: “Preparation for death is that most Reasonable and Seasonable thing, to which you must now apply yourself” (93)

·       Rhetorical Question: “If the Koran can be read differently today because of changing attitudes toward slaves, then why not emancipate women as well? (152)

·       Epigraph: “DON’T BE A SUCKER! SAVE SEX FOR MARRIAGE” (137)

·       Alliteration: “The most common measure is the maternal mortality ratio” (98)

·       Metaphor: “As Edna roams the hospital, she’s like the weather in October: alternately stormy and sunny” (128)

·       Imagery: “Swimming with her, with all our clothes on naturally…in the Gulf of Aden at Berbera, in that warm turquoise water with pink mountains in the distance and her bodyguard marching up and down the otherwise absolutely deserted beach with his machine gun.” (129) “The jail is a single story compound behind a high wall in the heart of the city, without good towers or coils of barbed wire” (155)

·       Sarcasm: “if you think education is expensive, try ignorance” (167)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

·       Why did the authors use examples of women from places like China and Nigeria?

·       Why did the authors choose to use dialogues?

·       Why did the authors refer to a lot of studies and experiments?

INTERESTING, MEMORABLE QUOTATION:

“Your body is a wrapped lollipop. When you have sex with a man, he unwraps your lollipop and sucks on it. It may feel great at the time, but, unfortunately, when he’s done with you, all you have left for your partner is a poorly wrapped, saliva-fouled sucker” (137)