With that being said, many of us aren’t exposed to other cultures. When we see someone we don’t identify with, we tend to hold a prejudice to those who aren’t like us or maybe from another country. It stems from how we are raised and the environments we are raised in. While there has been some progress towards the creation of equity in our world and support for diversity has increased in our society, racial discrimination is still alive and well. Most of us grow up with stereotypes of race, gender, class, ethnicity that remains in our thinking in various degrees.
I chose a piece of writing to connect the concerns I have on a socio-cultural level because that’s what identifies with who I am most and also a way I cope with my inner and outer reality and ultimately, how I feel about the negative inner workings of society. It will also address the issues of identity as contemporary artists present in their artwork. Thousands of artists use their artwork to try to inform and better our society with potent originality from ones individual realm of existence. In a complex society, many voices go unheard, people go unseen, and unjustified. The messages within art and I mean all forms of art, can be the ultimate voice for all who cannot be heard. Art translates so much information, remembrance, resolution, and stories untold.
So, since writing is a form of art, this piece expresses who I ‘am and what I believe in that shapes my reality which then projects my identity. In return, Im hoping that my writing can be as thought provoking as contemporary art is. And for those who don’t know me I hope whatever I say is of some value to you because I’d like you to get a good sense of who I am. Several themes in my writing will closely connect to discussions and some of the artists we’ve been introduced to in class and throughout our museum visits such as Hilma, Kambui, Wendy Red Star, etc.
Read Below:
Existence Elsewhere
I end up here often actually, in some sort of parallel universe. A world beyond the world we are contained in. It’s all too surreal here because I could never feel the time ticking. I felt lighter, less dense, like I was only wearing my spirit. But, I wasn’t alone. There were others that have existed here, long before I have. Animals and insects roamed freely, living equally amongst the human race, all as leaders and contributors towards this worlds revolution, which was primarily based on “Love.” It is an emotion that fills the atmosphere, much like the toxins do in the world I could once appreciate, yet here I could taste the love in the air and it was so consistent that it could be recycled. Here I am comparing existences, and I was convinced this life was rather settling. Before my arrival, life was all too depressing, and I realized this when I saw the fate of the world in the hands of man who were too busy getting high off of power trips.
For once, the land was appreciated, natural as ever, no longer suffocating under the concrete. They’ve taught me that our land mustn’t be wooled over by artificial construction. The greener the better. Massive trees that must have been centuries old governed the skies, vines trickled down like hair swaying in the winds of happiness and this beautiful scenery stretched as far as my vision could. The elders of this world would always say we were better off this way and that our joints, bones and vertebrae will be freed from physical complications since the land was so richly invested in fruitful terrain. It was quite amazing. The people slept on vegetated beds layered in delicate flower pedals. Sunrises were legendary! Beds rose upwards as the sun caught fire and from up there you could meet birds soaring graciously above the abundance of vegetation. It was a dream come true. There were enough streams of fresh/salt water, waterfalls, ponds, lakes, rivers, oceans, scattered throughout the land to support the marine life, as well as ours. Anything and everything that existed grew unitedly, freely, harmoniously and so did we.
The focus was to live freely in tandem. We did not allow modern-day concepts to influence the life around here. The first law implemented by the people who populated this world first made sure to abandon any ideas of social division in view of how it created disorder within humanity. Ultimately, we were classified as one essential group of people, unified, excluding no one, except the cynical. The pigment of the skin did not matter, nor did we care if someone was different in color, weight, shape or size, we accepted one another for who we were. Afterall, love is what we fed our minds in order to elevate to this mutual understanding.
You must understand the energy linked between us helps shape our universe. We are LIFE!! What surrounds us only reminds us of who we truly are. The universe is alive, I feel it breathing and just like humanity it needs to be supported and appreciated.
THEN I WOKE UP ….
Inspirations
*(Nielsen, 1991). Tore. A. Nielsen (dreams parallel to waking life) PHD in psychology
*To look at the “outer” state of the world we have created is to see a reflection of our own “inner” state. [Theosophy]- An introduction to the spiritual Processes in Human Life and in the cosmos. (Rudolph Steiner)
*This perspective is reflected in (Albert Gore’s) widely read book, Earth in the Balance. Gore speaks of the profound separation that has arisen in the course of Western cultural history between our intellect and the physical world in which we live. He sees this as a major source of the unhealthy relationship to our natural environment which is visible in the ecological crisis we face today.
*In Thomas Kuhn’s book, “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions”, Kuhn reveals the suspicion that all thought and belief systems are merely social constructions.
*Hilma helps me believe that there isn’t just one way to generate beliefs, feelings, ideas, and so
on.
* Kambui makes it ok to express art on another platform, as he touches on his own cultural experiences that he fuses with a variety of mythologies to disseminate a narrative that elaborates existence of past and present.
*Whether you’d like to know this or not, social divisions are closely tied with social inequality because these divisions often indicate the degree to which people can access resources and opportunities.
Humanity should be more mindful. I say this because when we have a greater understanding or awareness of another person’s culture it is easier to accept one another and co-exist. In relation to this, my self- portrait gives you an exclusive look into my ideal world, taken place in a parallel universe where social circumstances aren’t judged so heavily by where one comes from. While I’m unconsciously conscious, I elaborate on the idea that life is not meant to be lived socially divided. Better said, lets not allow geographic location to determine how we treat each other and live fairly with the respect for all of walks of life. This gives me an opportunity to explain why some dreams can be the vehicle that provide people with new perspective.
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