SMART ASSIGNMENT

I have selected the two works of art for you. You can choose 3 articles, use the articles from the journal you are doing now. The works of art I have choosed are attached. Talk about it as the instructions ask you to and reflect on it with 3 readings that you think are appropriate, the readings are the same articles for the journals. You can use any 3 from all the days (june 2, 3, etc). i’m gonna write things i observe in the paper so you include them, but please add as much of your own observations as well and research you find. Please make sure to answer all the instructions she asks for in the prompt or she wont give me an A if I miss anything. THANK YOU!!! 🙂

1. border fence. I grew up in the border city of Mexicali, Baja california. and I crossed the border every day until 1 was 17 and moved to san diego. I studied in the american town across the border, calexico, so I could learn english. fortunately for me, I was born in san diego so crossing the border was never an issue for me. i never had to deal with visas, permits, etc. As i grew older i learned about the many lives that are affected by this man-made division that separates two countries. I would see the deported people from mexico, as well as from south america ask for money to the cars waiting in the border line, most of them wash cars for money. In this photograph I see the men dressed exactly like all the laborers dress. It is very realistic. And the fence has holes in it. The men are standing in the dirt looking over through peep holes, trying to get a glimpse of the dreamed of Estados Unidos. I think the artist purposely takes the photograph at an angle to emphasize the length of the fence to shed light on the challenge it poses to people trying to cross over. The fact that the men are looking over tells me that they have hope, otherwise I think they would be trying to earn a living in their present country. I think the artist chose to keep the picture in black and white, because the real life situation he is showing the world is not a happy one. It looks more serious that way. 

2. Seated woman:

This work reminds me of the art works we saw in class with the many mothers, where they all all appeared fatigued. It was a realistic portrayal of motherhood, more than the idealized ones we are used to. In this work, the women are seated. it looks to me like they are resting from a busy day. Their hair is up and they do not seem to be dressed up or glamourous in any way. Their hairs are up and the clothing they are wearing is very simple, like what a laborer would wear. They are also seating on the ground, which is where laborers would seat in a particular country like Mexico. It is not a custom for middle or high class people to sit on the floor. the woman in the background has what looks to me like a woven basket next to her leg, so she could have been doing manual labor there on the floor, or who knows; its just an observation. both women have their hands on their chins, it makes them look serious and pensive to me. The woman on the back’s eyebrows seem to show some sadness too. I like how the artist painted this scene, a quiet, subtle moment with no physical action going on, but the painting still looks very much alive to me. Even if the colors are subtle, Rivera used brushstrokes in a very deliberate way to show light and dark in a way that make the painting come more to life. It is obviously not a very real looking painting, there is not alot of detail. But the whole thing has a “vibration” to it because of the brush strokes moving my eyes in different directions, and the way lighting was used.