Appropriation

 I do not like this form of art. I think they are mere copies of old art work to convey some kinds of new interoperation. I am sure I am not the only one that will make subjective and biased comments like above. Chan’s Mona Lisa can be an example for appropriation. I cannot wait to see what he is going to say about this.

Objectively, this form of art tells the viewers the appropriation artists interpretation on the original context, brings some nuances of those “old’’, conventional, traditional, classic, classical arts as some might be tired or even bored of either the old art itself or its very official interoperation by some art historians, gives freshmen chances to know those “old” art, and agitates some who hold unswerving respect.

According to MoMALearning, which is quite official (how contradicting), appropriation is defined as "the intentional borrowing, copying, and alteration of preexisting images and objects” even though I “should not copy any definitions or regurgitate or synopsize information you have read. These thoughts should be based on your own understanding of what you have read and researched.” I am borrowing intentionally because stealing and plagiarizing are intentional as well, but how intentional is intentional enough to be categorized as the later. There were people suing for their copy rights.  

How do these grey-zone art works prevail? According to my research which is very limited and deduction, there must be a hard time for those appropriation artist even though its movement is contemporary, and appropriation it self falls under post-modernism. Before the impressionism had caused an attention and impact in the society, art works were expected to be microscopically accurate and would be exhibited in Salon only when qualified by Jury of the Universal Exposition. Monet, Manet, Dekacroix’s works would all be considered as trash. However, they succeeded because they had the gut to pursue in their ideology and acquire the intelligence in making the decision that instead being a little fish in a deep and competitive pond which is the Salon, they wanted to a big fish in a small pond even though there was not a small pond yet. Thus, they built one themselves. When appropriation first appeared, I wonder how much opposition would there be. But just like those impressionists, their disagreeableness or inconformity hold their backs and push them forward. 

No one had thought about using other people’s work to make new point and association with contemporary context, and thus appropriation art is an invention, an odd birth but as beautiful as those others. 

Prom Proposal

OK, another three prom proposals. Another? There are 140 people in our class. If I assume seventy of them are male, then seventy proposals will be expected-- unless some guys is lazy enough not to do so, and assuming girls are usually not the ones to do so. But here is another three public prom proposals. The focus is publicity. Is it a show or what?

Well, I think it is silly. It is just silly. There are two possible cases. One is that the girl has already known what is coming up but just not what it is going to be like and the guy knows she is going to say yes. The second one is that the girl is threatened, excuse me for the wrong word choice, or forced to accept something only because it is in front of the the whole school, and it would be so awkward and even be considered as "immoral" to many of those who are watching this to say no to the guy who has the "guts" to stand up on the stage.

Does a proposal on stage represent a careful, well-planned, and elaborate preparation, or it is merely an easy way to cause a congestion of that girl's brain so that she stops thinking and says yes? Anyway, I do like Matt Tracy's package delivery idea. As for others, well.

For those who know that he probably does not have a chance under normal circumstances, he should try on stage since it is the easiest and requires the least amount of thinking and preparation and a quite guaranteed solution.

It is pathetic for me to make these subjective arguments here. Those girls are happy even though they could have been happier.

Senior Spring?

"Finally", I thought after I came back to Tabor from Spring break. I was a week late due to my family's immigration process. My parents believe it is for my good. Well, i don't know. It feels like quite a lot responsibility. I will need to pay taxes no matter where I am on earth, doing anything that has some business to do with America that it is going to tax on every penny I make. The reason I thought "Finally" was that I was looking forward to come back to Tabor since I am finally in college and think that I will not need to work anymore; I no longer need to do homework, to listen in class, and to worry about anything. But the fact is that nothing has changed. Even though each class individually does not contribute that much to my academic load, it is a different story when seven of them add together. I start to live as if anything can possibly hurt my possession. Sometimes I wonder, "maybe it is because i am not good enough for MIT. That's why i am feeling so unsettled." But MIT only takes about ten Chinese kids each year out of, i don't know, five hundred. I have to have something that shines to them, and I hope I know what that thing is.

College

It is the time of the year when rejection, offer, and waiting lists arrives, the time of our lives when we have a clear view of where we are among all students of this generation, and the time for anyone you know or know you to put some kind for sincere or phony expectations on you. 

It was 6:28 AM, March, 15th in China; that's when MIT decided to release their decisions. Despite the unconventional time of their notification, the way they addresses their offers differed from others. By saying "others", I mean those other schools that also give me offers. By saying "unconventional", I mean the offer letter read like a rejection through the first few words. It took me one extra second to jump out of my seat, or chair, and ran to my parents. Right after the second I told them the news, I wondered if it is real. I ran back to my room and read. It took me another extra second to find that word "offer" and probably another thirty minutes to find where the "Congratulation" is. Hmm... "That is kind of exciting", as I thought through seriously. 

It was 7:28, one hour after 6:28. There were tons of phone calls and text messages. On this matter, I have huge contradiction with my parents. While I believe that people will eventually come to know it, my parents think that if it is going to happen eventually, why not let it happen sooner than later. Among those phone calls, my parents explained no less than ten times what MIT is. I wondered what difference would that phone call make to those who did not even know what MIT is. They don't give a ... about this before, I suppose, and will not give one after. Of course, they won't say that in the phone, will they? Because that would only make my parents happier. Why? Envy, or to be envied, more exactly. Thus, I started to wonder and question the intention of those phone calls. I am admitted by MIT. Why do I or they, my parents, need those approves or admiration from those who we are not quite concerned with? Anyway, some phone calls were to those good friends of my parents'. 

It was 8:28, two hours after 6:28. I was so surprised how quick it passed away; I would expect the ecstasy to stay longer. Before this notification, I envisioned so much about the outcomes. I was ready to go wild, to go crazy, to go show off, to have my head up so high that people would be only able to see my nostrils, to walk sidewards like a crab, to knock on every neighbor's door, and to write the decision on my face so every one would know. Or, I would be lying on my bed for the rest of the spring break, looking into the sky at a forty five degree angle twenty four seven, having soups with chopsticks, avoiding conversations with my parents in any kinds of ridiculous reasons, and having my heads down for quite a while. Ok, that did not happen.

Kent R. Wallis is currently a member of the prestigious Society of American Impressionists, as well as the Society of Plein Air Painters of America. Being captivated and then following the great painters of the 19th century, he painted the surrounding countryside near his rural home. While I more or less try to convey a message or an internal struggle of myself through my art works, the pure and quite scenes he depicts in his painting brings me comfort and delight in viewing. To me what is interesting about him is that he was a professional in the business world who had never picked up a paintbrush twenty years ago. According to his retrospects, it were some other people’s works that inspired him to start his art career. He proved me that art is a latent talent that lies inside everyone, but only a few uncover this hidden ability of creating art. I am really grateful that I have this environment and condition which allows me to paint, to sculpture, to draw, and to create art.

Possibility

        After this college application trek, I, although released, have no idea where my future is going to fall into. MIT, Williams, UMich, UCB, USC, BC, squash, basketball, rowing? I do not know where these schools and activities will lead me to. The future is always full of infinite possibilities, but the actual number of possible outcomes decreases as I grew up. I can dream about anything when I was young. Everything just seemed so possible at that point of my life. The reality, however, has been pulling me to be more and more realistic. I cannot be an astronaut because I have a scar on my face; I cannot be a pilot because I am shortsighted; I cannot be the president of America because I am not American. One can argue that there are still so many possible things left I can strive for, but at this moment of life, waiting for the college results and still taking seven courses so that I do not slack off for my senior spring, I cannot imagine my life after graduation. I am like a puppet hanging on balloons, who does not have control on where he is flying to but will fall if he cuts the strings. Therefore, he would have to hope he is flying to somewhere he wished for. 

        The first three pieces of my possibility concentration works were done on sketch papers with pencils. Outcomes of rolling a die, tossing a coin, and drawing cards from a deck of cards are all possibilities. My fourth piece of this project will be a collage. Students in high school will receive tons of college booklets, introductions, descriptions of their campus, academic quality, sports, and etc. While I try not to deny that some of them might be helpful, none of them brought me anything useful. It seems to be that all colleges are identical according to their slogans.