Research Project

         I didn’t initially realize how difficult it would be to discuss, reflect upon, and try to explain the complex and multiple layers of the prison-industrial complex that people’s projects portrayed. I was particularly impressed and appreciated the conversations I had following the gallery opening, listening to people share stories of the different connections they made between their projects and others, as well as how they chose to express the research they had completed. I especially appreciated how people’s artwork was incorporated into the shared space. Our collective work about challenging and seeking to understand incarceration seeped through conversations and the silences of what was unknown and left unexplained.

My project is online, here

I don’t think I really began to believe in this event until it happened. Looking back on my thoughts throughout the process, there’s a consistent line of dread and frustration against a project that seemed too disconnected, too hard, too unreal. Even on that Wednesday, as I printed out my pages in the library, I was filled with the same negativity. At least I have something, I thought, at least I tried. As I held my project out in front of Farida’s camera, I bit back ­apologies for myself, for the work I felt wasn’t enough. Any of the pride I felt was squashed under the weight of unsure expectations. What is this space we’ve been crafting in fits and starts all semester, the space I helped create and name?

[I'm transcribing the placard here, because I think it serves as reflection of what I aimed for in my final piece, and I have attached a PDF of my entire project to this post.]

Freedom Forgotten, Works of Silence and Resistance

( I'm sorry for being that ahead of time, but I really want to document my feelings and thoughts as they are still fresh )

In Jody’s class Thursday after the opening of our exhibition, I critiqued on my own work in the group project that I didn’t feel it is accessible enough to the viewers although I kind of intentionally created some ambiguity. However, my views started to change after hearing people’s opinions on “Freedom” in Friday’s Socrates Café.

Feeling free is very subjective and it can mean anything to different people. And Abby said that, citing her friend, freedom is people having equal limitations.

The link:

http://artsofresistance.wix.com/criminals#!han/c24vq 

All the pictures on my page of this group project are taken by myself.

Here is the link to our website!

http://artsofresistance.wix.com/criminals

Abby, Han, Julia, and Shirah

(This entire thing was first written as an email to Jody so it's not in very formal project proposal-type language! Just a disclaimer)

Ok, so it's a little late for revisions.