Artist statement
Cypress Ellen
10/6/10
After collecting information from interviews we went to art class to represent them in a collage. My interviews with different members of my family led to different answers but I felt through out that there was an unspoken truth that money was necessary to get what you want.
In blacking out things I found a lot to represent. Some of the more important sentences I tried to capture were “game of life” and “anything is possible”. Life frequently feels like a bit of a game, an obstacle course where you must run through all the hoops to get to the end. And so often we seem to be told, “anything is possible if you just work hard enough”. But is that really true? I also stamped some sentences and words the most important probably being “supposed to be perfect”. I was trying to represent what American in a sense was supposed to be. Free, independent, a place where dreams come true, perfect. But it isn’t and it never has been. These words can also come down to a personal level, for many people I think. There’s a lot of pressure in our country, to be something, to be someone, whatever that is.
Then I added my own hand sketched drawings. The doors might seem like the doors to opportunity but I was really trying to represent chance. Many stories feature a moment where the hero must choose between two doors to walk through, one will lead to a glorious future filled with riches and prosperity while the other door leads to ruin, darkness and despair. Though our situation may not be quite so black and white, we all have the chance of going down either road. I also added a clock trying to represent the value of time and how it even connects to money. Those who have money have time and those who have time have money. These two aspects of life are greatly intertwined.
Though it may be harder to see or recognize there is actually a door in the middle (or close to the middle) of the collage. The door is at the end of a hallway and made from black tissue paper. This door can represent many things but it mainly has to do with future and the unknown. There is no heavenly light in the future, but just because it looks dark doesn’t mean it really will be. The future is a mystery, too far away for us to see. The only thing we know, is that its there.
Cypress Ellen
10/6/10
After collecting information from interviews we went to art class to represent them in a collage. My interviews with different members of my family led to different answers but I felt through out that there was an unspoken truth that money was necessary to get what you want.
In blacking out things I found a lot to represent. Some of the more important sentences I tried to capture were “game of life” and “anything is possible”. Life frequently feels like a bit of a game, an obstacle course where you must run through all the hoops to get to the end. And so often we seem to be told, “anything is possible if you just work hard enough”. But is that really true? I also stamped some sentences and words the most important probably being “supposed to be perfect”. I was trying to represent what American in a sense was supposed to be. Free, independent, a place where dreams come true, perfect. But it isn’t and it never has been. These words can also come down to a personal level, for many people I think. There’s a lot of pressure in our country, to be something, to be someone, whatever that is.
Then I added my own hand sketched drawings. The doors might seem like the doors to opportunity but I was really trying to represent chance. Many stories feature a moment where the hero must choose between two doors to walk through, one will lead to a glorious future filled with riches and prosperity while the other door leads to ruin, darkness and despair. Though our situation may not be quite so black and white, we all have the chance of going down either road. I also added a clock trying to represent the value of time and how it even connects to money. Those who have money have time and those who have time have money. These two aspects of life are greatly intertwined.
Though it may be harder to see or recognize there is actually a door in the middle (or close to the middle) of the collage. The door is at the end of a hallway and made from black tissue paper. This door can represent many things but it mainly has to do with future and the unknown. There is no heavenly light in the future, but just because it looks dark doesn’t mean it really will be. The future is a mystery, too far away for us to see. The only thing we know, is that its there.
Interview on the American Dream
Cypress Ellen
10/5/10
Hazel Ellen is nine years old and in third grade. She likes Japanese animation, talks too much, and lives in two different houses. She is my half sister. How does this change her opinion on the American dream? Her idea of the American dream was one I'd of myself and made me wonder what effects age might have on a person's opinion. Her idea of the American dream was “To have a nice house, a nice job, nice friends...” etc. In other words, a simple yet perfect life. Her idea of the American dream is materialistic and similar to mine because of that nature. Besides the three people I officially interviewed I have also interviewed myself in a sense and seeing as my sister and I are closest in age it leads me to the possible conclusion that being younger may make one's dream more materialistic. On the other hand it could be one of the few things my sister and I have in common.
After interviewing Hazel, I walked into the kitchen to interview Drew Sy. Drew is forty seven years old and has a lot of experience in child care. He is my mother's second husband and a stepfather to Hazel and me. His approach to deciphering the American dream was very different than both mine and Hazel's. In his opinion, the American dream relates to the original point of this country. “This country was supposed to be a place where we can live how we want to live and govern ourselves. The American dream is supposed to incorporate everyone's dreams because America was supposed to be a place where you can live out your dreams.” Unfortunately the key words here are “supposed to be” Drew thinks this dream is a good one, but not consistent enough yet. In his own experience he's had some success but not nearly what should be fair. Drew's view of the American dream was idealistic and as different from mine and Hazel’s as we ourselves are. Why? The age difference? The gender difference? The difference in experience? Or simple differences in character?
Lastly, I interviewed my mom, Nancy Ellen. Nancy is forty two years old, dresses up monthly at least, and the unspoken manager of the Plainfield coop, the only grocery store in Plainfield. Of all four of us, my mother was the most emotionally invested and opinionated about the American dream. Most of us (including myself) gave themselves a few minutes of thought when asked the question “What do you think the American dream is?” Nancy, however, already knew her answer. “The American dream is the idea that everybody has a chance to get what they want. If you work hard enough, you can have whatever you want.” With a word or two that I wouldn’t be allowed to include in a school paper she described her opinion of this idea. “[This idea] has been more true but never completely true.” Nancy’s idea was skeptical, or perhaps flat out disbelieving. And this made her more invested emotionally that any of us. Funny that the closest to an emotional connection with the American dream that any of us had was something like anger.
While all three of the opinions of the people I interviewed were very different (and my own as well) the odd thing is, we all agreed with each other essentially. We all believe that what the American dream can boil down to is like Hazel’s idea. To have, modestly speaking, whatever you could want or need. We all very much agree with Drew that the original plan of this country was to make a country where dreams come true. And all of us feel, like Nancy, that the American dream is a bit of a lie. Not everyone’s dream is going to come true. That’s a fact, even if we work really hard. Everyone’s opinions are different, just like they are. You might think that that would make everyone disagree a lot, but actually, people's opinions have no specific relation to whether they’ll agree or not. Opinions make us interested and we look for them in other people. We’re all curious about each others differences and similarities. What’s your American dream?
Cypress Ellen
10/5/10
Hazel Ellen is nine years old and in third grade. She likes Japanese animation, talks too much, and lives in two different houses. She is my half sister. How does this change her opinion on the American dream? Her idea of the American dream was one I'd of myself and made me wonder what effects age might have on a person's opinion. Her idea of the American dream was “To have a nice house, a nice job, nice friends...” etc. In other words, a simple yet perfect life. Her idea of the American dream is materialistic and similar to mine because of that nature. Besides the three people I officially interviewed I have also interviewed myself in a sense and seeing as my sister and I are closest in age it leads me to the possible conclusion that being younger may make one's dream more materialistic. On the other hand it could be one of the few things my sister and I have in common.
After interviewing Hazel, I walked into the kitchen to interview Drew Sy. Drew is forty seven years old and has a lot of experience in child care. He is my mother's second husband and a stepfather to Hazel and me. His approach to deciphering the American dream was very different than both mine and Hazel's. In his opinion, the American dream relates to the original point of this country. “This country was supposed to be a place where we can live how we want to live and govern ourselves. The American dream is supposed to incorporate everyone's dreams because America was supposed to be a place where you can live out your dreams.” Unfortunately the key words here are “supposed to be” Drew thinks this dream is a good one, but not consistent enough yet. In his own experience he's had some success but not nearly what should be fair. Drew's view of the American dream was idealistic and as different from mine and Hazel’s as we ourselves are. Why? The age difference? The gender difference? The difference in experience? Or simple differences in character?
Lastly, I interviewed my mom, Nancy Ellen. Nancy is forty two years old, dresses up monthly at least, and the unspoken manager of the Plainfield coop, the only grocery store in Plainfield. Of all four of us, my mother was the most emotionally invested and opinionated about the American dream. Most of us (including myself) gave themselves a few minutes of thought when asked the question “What do you think the American dream is?” Nancy, however, already knew her answer. “The American dream is the idea that everybody has a chance to get what they want. If you work hard enough, you can have whatever you want.” With a word or two that I wouldn’t be allowed to include in a school paper she described her opinion of this idea. “[This idea] has been more true but never completely true.” Nancy’s idea was skeptical, or perhaps flat out disbelieving. And this made her more invested emotionally that any of us. Funny that the closest to an emotional connection with the American dream that any of us had was something like anger.
While all three of the opinions of the people I interviewed were very different (and my own as well) the odd thing is, we all agreed with each other essentially. We all believe that what the American dream can boil down to is like Hazel’s idea. To have, modestly speaking, whatever you could want or need. We all very much agree with Drew that the original plan of this country was to make a country where dreams come true. And all of us feel, like Nancy, that the American dream is a bit of a lie. Not everyone’s dream is going to come true. That’s a fact, even if we work really hard. Everyone’s opinions are different, just like they are. You might think that that would make everyone disagree a lot, but actually, people's opinions have no specific relation to whether they’ll agree or not. Opinions make us interested and we look for them in other people. We’re all curious about each others differences and similarities. What’s your American dream?