Author: Teona Pagan

The Jungle, a show we as a class had the pleasure of watching on Wednesday night at the St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn, tells the story of a refugee camp in Calais, France that housed of thousands of people fleeing from countries in Africa and the Middle East as they waited for their “good chance” shot to flee to Britain for asylum. As we explore the lives of the characters and learn more about where they come from and how they ended up at The Jungle, the audience is able to sympathize with the people living there, and simultaneously educate themselves on the current refugee crisis.

The most striking part of the show was by far the monologue that the boy from Sudan had during his conversation with Beth. Beth, a white woman from Britain, continuously tells this young man that she understands him and where he’s coming from. Frustrated, he takes his shirt off and the audience sees a number of thick lash marks across his chocolate skin. Then, he begins telling her his story in detail. One day when he was fleeing Sudan on a bus with his mother, the bus was stopped by government officers telling them all to evacuate the bus. Thereafter, all the men and women were separated and were ordered to line up. The officers had guns held to the men’s heads while they watched all the women they cared about be burned alive. Before this happened, in case something of this nature ever did happen, his mother gave him $40 to retreat on a boat with his “uncle” to go to a safer place. Since he was considered to be poor, he and his uncle were placed underneath the deck with many other people. Packed tight like sardines, it was difficult to move. Since the boat was so packed, when water started to flood in from holes in the walls, they all began to drown and had to fight for their lives, once again. The entire time he was telling this story to Beth, members of the cast joined him in a line looking directly at her, as if this was their story too. The part that broke my heart was when some cast members were actually weeping as if they were the refugees themselves.

Beth represented many of the audience members in the crowd. White women who were privileged and had no idea what it was like to be discriminated against or displaced from your home/country of origin. In fact, the “Beth’s” of the crowd were the main ones crying throughout the show. For some reason this angered me. Considering the stereotypical profile of the people who come to see shows like this, I would assume that most of them were Republicans and voted for a president who is reinforcing many of the same polices that go against human rights right here in America, i.e. Immigrant internment camps and the building of this border wall.

“Everybody is running away from something. We’re all refugees. The name of the game is, “What are you running from?”” This quote from the show is what stuck with me the most. Oftentimes, we as a society tend to look the other way when we see detrimental and catastrophic things happening to other people in the world, and yet, many of these things are happening right here on American soil. Yes these events happened in Europe but it is still our problem and still something we should be concerned with. I was very disgusted to learn that the demolition of this camp by the French government happened less than three years ago and I have never heard of it. When the bombings happened in Paris in 2015, I was aware but I was surprised to learn that The Jungle was directly affected, but not in the way you would think. In one of the bombing sites, a fake Syrian passport was planted and recovered. The same day of the attacks, there was an accidental fire at the camps, and subsequently, the French government tried to link this to the bombings at the camps. The government claims that the refugees disguised themselves and came to Paris as terrorists, but this wasn’t the case. As a result, they decided to demolish the camps, and bring an end to The Jungle.

The Jungle was a performance unlike anything I had ever seen or experienced before. The acting was impeccable, the stage and setting made me feel like I was in the main restaurant of The Jungle, and the story was authentic and true to life. Even though Wednesday was a very long day for me, packed with a presentation, a final, and an exam, I am now very glad I went. This was my favorite outing of the semester.

On the evening of October 31^st, Andrew, Yusef, Rushabh and I attended a reading on the lower East Side of Manhattan at The Dixon Place. For the Fall 2018 season, the Dixon Place hosted readings by established authors in the “Guerilla Lit Reading Series”. On this night, there were three authors presenting their work, all reading fiction texts, all persuading the audience members to buy their work.

The Dixon Place is very hard to describe, a place that you have to see in person to get a real grasp for. It is a bar, a lounge, and a theatre all in one. The Dixon Place was very warm and cozy, with a plethora of different tables and chairs, all made from assorted materials, all antique. There was a great deal of artwork on the walls. The price and author were noted beneath them. Right at the entrance hung a large LGBTQ+ flag, indicating that this is a safe space.

The first author, Jacob M. Appel, began his reading by telling the audience that he’s written about 215 short stories but he is only known for one entitled Einstein’s Beach House, of which he reads the beginning of. At a first glance, his strong lisp and reserved demeanor gave off the impression that he was shy about his work. However, as he began to read and the intensity of his voice gradually increased as he read the excerpt, I could tell that his work meant a great deal to him. The piece he read, was about a couple who had a pet hedgehog and he becomes ill. The woman in the relationship was very upset that the hedgehog was sick because she had lost some relatives recently, so her partner decided to take him to a veterinary psychiatrist. Before this reading, I had never heard of such a thing. The rhythm and pace at which he read the excerpt sounded as if he was reading a poem, with such cadence and flow to his words. His stance, with his feet planted firmly and his voice projected outward, indicated that he was very confident in his craft. I was very impressed with his piece, as it took a slightly unexpected turn, leaving me wanting more. After all the readings, Andrew and I asked to take a picture with him and he seemed very excited to do so. In fact, he gave us both free copies of his book.

The second author, Laura Catherine Brown (an older white woman with blonde hair who was dressed up as a hippie for Halloween, the only author who was in the holiday spirit), also read an excerpt from a book she’s published called Made By Mary. She stated that she has never read this section aloud before, and she prepped us for any errors she may make while doing so. Nonetheless, she read the excerpt with an assertive, mysterious, and newscaster voice. The excerpt she read was about a lesbian couple who was preparing to get pregnant through surrogacy. She also mentioned how the characters in the book were involved in paganism and drug trafficking, but most of the concepts in her novel went over my head, partly because I am not personally familiar with those topics. I would rather sit down and read her novel myself and be able to go back over the things I don’t understand. She was very animated in her speech. For instance, she patted her chest when she read the word “thumped”, and constantly used her hands for further infliction.

The last author, Brian Leung, commanded the stage as soon as he stepped up, or at least he tried to. He gave off a very arrogant attitude, and yet he was unprepared and could not see his novel because of the lighting. When Laura Brown initially came up to help him with the lighting, he brushed her off and denied her help. Then, when he finally admitted to himself that he couldn’t see, he agreed to her assistance. Before he read, he told the audience that he was going to read without context, and “you will learn nothing about my novel from these excerpts”. From that statement, I was turned off from listening to his text. However, he was very lively whilst reading his text, animating the sounds in the book (i.e.: “zzzz”).

I have never been to a reading like this (or at all for that matter), and it was nothing like I expected, but I am very grateful that I went.

Andrew and I with Laura Catherine Brown

Andrew and I with Jacob M. Appel

Rushabh and I at the Dixon Place

Project Idea: A full-sized mannequin covered in art that represents New York City

For our project for the STEAM festival this winter, the six of us plan to create an embodiment of New York City. We aim to find all the different ways that we interact with the city, and how the city impacts us. By combining those details in an artistic way, we will create the New Yorker: a mannequin covered with art about all different aspects of New York City. Each body part will have a different story because each body part is impacted differently by this city. This concept relates to our past units of street photography and our focus on New York City, as well as the impact certain surroundings have on various works of art.

All six of us will have a different part of the body on the mannequin to work with. Each person will be assigned for example, the legs, arms etc. This ensures that we all have a solid contribution to the finished product and no one person is doing considerably more than anyone else. When we decide which person will cover what body part, we will cover that body part in art that corresponds with how that part of the body interacts with the city. For example, the legs of the mannequin will be covered with art that represents transportation around the city and the arms will represent common things that New Yorkers are always seen carrying with them.

Since our mannequin is a standing representation of our artwork, we will be displaying various pictures and written explanations of our process in making it. Explanations of certain pictures will be included as well, which will be utilized as talking points for our presentations during the STEAM festival.

Dominique’s portion will be the back of the mannequin. The back of the mannequin, and the backs of New Yorkers are often overlooked and under appreciated. The back not only carries various bags and items, but is a canvas for New York’s iconic and progressive fashion industry. The back of this New Yorker (the mannequin) will showcase a multitude of items people have carried on their backs and have showcased as a means of art and fashion.

Andrew’s portion of the mannequin will be the legs. The legs of the mannequin and of a normal New Yorker represent how you get around. With this part of the mannequin, we will decorate it with means of transportation. This could be the train, bus, cabs, uber, lyft, ferry, or just walking around. The legs will incorporate photos of the regular new yorker taking these forms of transportation using some of the artistic mediums that we learned about so far this semester. This will include photos, objects, and possibly small sculptures all over the legs. The feet could have the popular boot brand “Timberlands”. There will be photos all over the legs that can be interpreted for the punctum and which studium (street, train station, borough) it is in.

Teona’s section of the body is the head. Obviously, the human head has many different parts and functions, including housing four of the five senses. With these senses we would like to incorporate the many things that you can hear, smell, see, and taste in NYC. For instance, in reference to the ears, in NYC a person can always hear the traffic and “hustle and bustle” of the streets. In addition they can attend a music festival, a concert in Central Park, or go to the Opera at Lincoln Center. For the eyes, we can discuss the various things a person sees in NYC on a daily basis. Such things may include skyscrapers, yellow taxi cabs, food carts, and so much more.

Rushabh’s area is the torso, on the torso some things we’d like to include are the different types of things that are usually involved with the torso area of a human. One idea that we are exploring are including different types of food, or signage related to food such as the Dunkin Doughnut logo, or neon halal food signage. Another thing that we may add on the torso may be piercings that we see on New Yorkers such as a belly button piercing. Or if we use a male mannequin include a Calvin Klein waistband because of their marketing on downtown NY billboards. All aspects of our project are about how things that surround us in New York are related to humans and how we as New Yorkers incorporate what is around us in our daily life.

“Police Officer Playing with Children, Harlem 1978 ” by Leonard Freed (October 23, 1929- November 29, 2006)

When I saw this photograph I was instantly mesmerized by the joy and happiness radiating from it. Memories of my carefree elementary school days came flooding back. I was reminded of a time where I was once this young and innocent, oblivious to the harsh realities of the black and white world in which we live. This photo, taken in 1978 by Leonard Freed shows a white police officer (most likely on duty) playing a game of what appears to be  “Duck, Duck, Goose!” with a group of kids, who are all minorities (black and Latino). What initially drew me to this photo wasn’t the shades of gray melanin on the children, or the lack thereof on the police officer. On every visible face, there is a glowing smile (studium). From the background, with the trash littering the streets and the graffiti stained, broken down buildings, it is clear to see that these children do not live in the best neighborhood or conditions. In these urban areas, the sight of a police officer may leave people feeling uneasy. Whether she knew it at the time or not, by just playing a harmless game with these children, she could have changed how they viewed the police, and also possibly could have had a positive influence on their lives in the future.

The gun in the officer’s holster pierces something inside me (punctum). It makes me view this entire image as a power dynamic. The magnitude of the grins and laughter of the people in the photo significantly outweighs the fear or intimidation one might feel from seeing a gun, especially a white officer with one. In this brief moment in time captured by the camera, she is so absorbed in her own glee that she has no use for the deadly weapon that she carries so nonchalantly. In comparison to the children she plays with, the officer holds a higher position of power and privilege in society. She is white and a member of law enforcement, whereas the children she surrounds herself with are at the bottom of the societal totem pole. The only thing fighting against her is the fact that she is a female. The gun is a symbol of the unspoken hierarchy that lingers within not only the image, but society as a whole.

Minorities are no stranger to police brutality in America, and this is definitely not a recent nationwide epidemic. This picture was taken during a time where desegregation in America was less than than thirty years old, crime in NYC was rampant, and the relationship between the NYPD and its citizens was often less than congenial. Yet, this photo seems to blur any and all black and white lines put forth by society, and illustrate a softer side of the country’s most notorious police department.

Kerry James Marshall (b. 1955)

While wandering aimlessly through the David Zwerner Gallery in Chelsea, I had a hard time trying to find a piece of art that spoke directly to me. However, when I turned the corner into the third white cube, there he was. He was tall and strong, his dark skin shiny with an obsidian gloss. Immediately, I know he is a slave. His straw-colored, coarse garments indicate that he was most likely a field worker. This man is also holding a bloody axe. Although this man is the star of the painting, there is a startling crime scene behind him. There is a door broken off of its hinges and streaks through it, as if he fought his way into the room with the axe. The bed he is standing in front of has white sheets that are disheveled, and a white man who was presumably murdered by the man holding the axe. The blood of the ivory man is scattered everywhere and trails from the pale white sheets to where the man holding the axe is standing. A closer look at the painting will reveal that the deceased man does not appear to be fully there. Only his decapitated head on the pillow. By the shadows casted on the man and furniture, and the dark undertones in the room it is transparent that this attack was done at night. The man in the bed was most likely the slave master, indicating that this attack was premeditated. The black man didn’t seem to be looking at me, but rather through me, as if he was in a trance. He just finished what he set out to do and it released a weight off of him. Chopping someone’s head off, especially with such a clean cut, is not an easy thing to do. Howbeit so, he also looks as if he has more work to do. The mission is not accomplished.

Before I did further research and discovered that this was a “Portrait of Nat Turner With the Head of his Master”, I already felt a weird sense of connectedness with the main character of this painting. This is more than just an illustration of him killing his master, but a message. The oppressed shall be oppressed no more and eventually they will fight back, with a vengeance.

This painting seemed very out of place. This was the darkest painting in the room. The other paintings in the room were mainly about European conquest and abstract concepts. Therefore, I was very thrown off when I saw this painting in the corner. The other people in the room who stopped to look at it did not stay for very long. Because this dark painting was placed in such a luminous room, with bright colored paintings and a white wall, it brings a sort of sullen tone to the room. In a room full of colors and happy thoughts, no one wants to stare at a painting that reminds us of the war we continue to face between black and white.

Often dubbed as the best city in the world, New York City is filled with nothing but surprises. That’s why, when I was driving across town with my mother on the way to the FDR drive, I was was astonished at what I saw. In front of NYU Langone’s Children’s Hospital was the cutest dog I had ever seen. Not only was he cute but he was colossal. This 38 foot tall statue of a sitting Dalmatian, approximately rising to the height of a three story building, was perfectly balancing a yellow taxi cab on its nose. Enclosed in a patch of grass, the dog was so huge and realistic, as if it was superbly trained to do this trick in the middle of all hustle and bustle going on around it.

“SPOT” by Donald Lipiski

Having this statue placed directly in front of the children’s hospital gives visitors a warm welcome and a feeling of playfulness as they come into a rather unsettling place. This dog is toying with an actual Prius, as if it is a ball given to it by its owner. If this dog was placed anywhere else in New York City, like in a park or a museum, the observer would undoubtedly still be in awe of its size and realistic features. However, because it is in front of a hospital, especially a children’s one, the viewer’s admiration and appreciation for such a warm, fuzzy work of art is enhanced. Having experience with visiting ill family members and loved ones in hospitals, I know personally that facilities such as these can make people nervous, uncomfortable, anxious, and just bring up bad memories. This sculpture sets a precedent for tone of the facility, lighthearted and fun, as much as a hospital can possibly be.  A child coming in to a scary place with a huge dog out front may feel just a tad bit better about going in, since dogs are often used to help relieve stress. This black and white animal is the epitome of fun and happiness, a stark contrast to the painting I described above.

Marble Statue of a Lion

This Greek sculpture was made approximately around 400-390 B.C. with Parian marble. The dimensions of this sculpture are height  31 1/4 in. (79.4 cm) and length 63 1/2 in. (161.3 cm). This statue is now on display at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 156. The artist is unknown.
“Marble statues of lions were sometimes used as tomb monuments or as guardians at both ends of a large tomb facade. Like many classical Greek works of art, this statue was taken to Rome during the imperial period.”

The lion depicted in the sculpture above immediately strikes me as being a dangerous creature. The lion is crouched down as if he is ready to lunge at or attack something in its path. The lion resembles a dog in its stature, stance, and paws especially. Since lions were extinct in mainland Greece long before this sculpture was made, the artist most likely used dogs as his real life inspiration.

This lion is very realistic. The sculpture is life size, which makes this piece even more intimidating. I purposely decided not to crop the man passing behind the sculpture out of the picture to illustrate just how large this lion was. The lion’s mane is not very large or dramatic, as the ripples in its fur blend right into his torso and the rest of his flesh. The lion is snarling so much that even its nose is scrunched up and exposes more of its sharp teeth. I can hear its roar as I walk by. The lion’s ribs are exposed through its skin. This makes me think that the lion is malnourished and ferocious. This lion will scare off any unwanted visitors, like thieves. Walking around the sculpture, you can clearly see the details and how the artist deliberately wanted to give it life and power.