Star of My Life - UBC Blogsblogs.ubc.ca/lled4492016/files/2016/05/Star-of-My-Life.pdf · with their...
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Star of My Life: Final Project Artist Statement For my final project I decided to respond to the text Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (2003). I created a painting using acrylic paint on canvas as well as printed paper, newspaper and glue. The finished project is entitled “Star of My Life” which is a direct quote from the novel. The quote, “Star of my life” is found on pg. 69, when Marjane’s uncle Anoosh is imprisoned and she comes to see him in jail. The scene was very powerful for me because not only was the image of the pair hugging and saying these stunning words very beautiful, it illustrated the divide between the family, their commitment to each other, and their political participation. Anoosh is a change maker and he decides to fight for his country rather than stay in comfort with his family. I translated this sentence into Persian (or Farsi) above the English version. The English saying is much larger than the Persian one. For me this shows how although Anoosh is committed to his country, Marjane’s parents will put their family above their political views, which eventually results in moving Marjane to America. For example on pg. 76 the family runs away from the protest when it becomes much too violent and chaotic. They decide to go on Vacation then, and they keep to themselves safe even when others in their country might be suffering. This notion of family versus politics or family versus state is the main theme of my painting. There is a staircase dividing the two sides of the space with the female figure in between. This ascending stairway image is one that reoccurs throughout the novel in times of great struggle and change. A descending staircase is found on pg. 103 and 104 when the people of Tehran run downstairs in order to escape the threat of bombs. On pg 114, Marjane is shown descending stairs again and she says, “The basement was my hideaway”. This quote demonstrates how her
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StarofMyLife:FinalProjectArtistStatement FormyfinalprojectIdecidedtorespondtothetextPersepolisbyMarjaneSatrapi(2003).Icreatedapaintingusingacrylicpaintoncanvasaswellasprintedpaper,newspaperandglue.Thefinishedprojectisentitled“StarofMyLife”whichisadirectquotefromthenovel.
Thequote,“Starofmylife”isfoundonpg.69,whenMarjane’suncleAnooshisimprisonedandshecomestoseehiminjail.Thescenewasverypowerfulformebecausenotonlywastheimageofthepairhuggingandsayingthesestunningwordsverybeautiful,itillustratedthedividebetweenthefamily,theircommitmenttoeachother,andtheirpoliticalparticipation.Anooshisachangemakerandhedecidestofightforhiscountryratherthanstayincomfortwithhisfamily.ItranslatedthissentenceintoPersian(orFarsi)abovetheEnglishversion.TheEnglishsayingismuchlargerthanthePersianone.FormethisshowshowalthoughAnooshiscommittedtohiscountry,Marjane’sparentswillputtheirfamilyabovetheirpoliticalviews,whicheventuallyresultsinmovingMarjanetoAmerica.Forexampleonpg.76thefamilyrunsawayfromtheprotestwhenitbecomesmuchtooviolentandchaotic.TheydecidetogoonVacationthen,andtheykeeptothemselvessafeevenwhenothersintheircountrymightbesuffering.
Thisnotionoffamilyversuspoliticsorfamilyversusstateisthemainthemeofmypainting.Thereisastaircasedividingthetwosidesofthespacewiththefemalefigureinbetween.Thisascendingstairwayimageisonethatreoccursthroughoutthenovelintimesofgreatstruggleandchange.Adescendingstaircaseisfoundonpg.103and104whenthepeopleofTehranrundownstairsinordertoescapethethreatofbombs.Onpg114,Marjaneisshowndescendingstairsagainandshesays,“Thebasementwasmyhideaway”.Thisquotedemonstrateshowher
countryandtheemotionalstateofthepeopleisdescendingfurtherandfurtherintowarandchaos.
Ifeel,however,thatthestaircaseinmypaintingisascending.Thisismirroredonpg.81whenMarjaneandherfatherrunupthestairsoftheirhometofindtheirmotherafterabombinghasoccurred.Theygoupthestairstobereunitedwiththeirmotherandthuschoosefamilyoverpoliticsonceagain.ThestaircaseinmypaintingisadividinglinebetweenthestateandfamilybutitisonethatMarjaneiscreatingforherselfandcaneasilyascendordescendasshechooses.ThisdoesnotmeanthatsheisnotcaughtbetweentheseopposingforcesbutIwillsaymoreonthatlater.
TheyellowsideofthepaintingrepresentsthepoliticalclimateofIranduringMarjane’schildhoodandadolescence.IusedseveralcomicstripssuchasDoonesbury,whichtendstoconsistofalotofAmericanpoliticalcontentaswellasasmallstripcalledTundrathathasonecharacteraskingtheother“Anybreaking
News?”Ithoughtthiswasappropriateconsideringthepoliticalcontentofthenovel.TheothertextfoundinthebackgroundisfrommycopyofJamesJoyce’sUlysses,whichisfallingapart.AlthoughIknowthistextisregardedbymanyasafabulousandingeniousworkofprose,Iontheotherhanddonot.Mydefacingofthistextnotonlysymbolizesmydesireforvisualsandtexttobecomeone,butalsomydistasteforliteraturethatrequiresanalmostinhumanamountofdecoding.ItrepresentsthecomplicatedpoliticaleventsthatoccurinPersepolisandtheconfusionthatthisinformationmightbringforachild.
ThesecomicsandworksarealsoAmerican/Canadian/Irish/WesternandsotheyareverysymbolicoftheunderlyingnatureoftheAmericaninfluenceontheconflictaswellasthedrivingpullofimmigration.JuxtaposingthehighbrowcultureofJoyce,withthecomicsalsospeakstotheculturalconflictweareexperiencingoverusinggraphicnovelsineducation.
ThefemalefigurewithherheadupturnedisMarjaneherselfwhensheissomewhatolderthanhercharacterinthenovel.IthinksheisgivenmoreagencyasagrownwomanandIfeelthatthisisthewaysheseesherselfevenwhensheisachild.Shewearsastarryheadcoveringwithherhairpokingout.Thisshowsherownershipoverthelimitsplacedonher.Sheisnotcompletelycovered,noristhescarfblack,butpatternedandfreeflowing.Hereyesareclosedduetotheconflictbetweenherfamilyandthepoliticsofherworld,notbecauseshedoesnotseeitbutbecausesheembodiestheconflictsofullyherself.Sheiscaughtonthebordersofthisbinaryyetthedividealsostemsfromwithinherasthestaircaseextendsfromhermouth.
ThisshowshowMarjaneisachildoftheconflictasmuchasanyotherchildrenthatgrewupinthatera.Theyinternalizewhatoccursaroundthemandoftenperpetuatetheconflictstheywereexposedto.Marjaneisaverycombativeyoungwomanwhooftenneedstobegivensomeperspectivebythosearoundher.
FinallyIselectedlightandairycolourstosymbolizetheoptimismandrosecolouredglassesofachild.AlthoughMarjanebeginsthestorywithverylittleconceptofthehardshipsoflife,shesoonlosesherinnocenceandbecomestheadultformweseeinthepainting.OverallthispaintingsymbolizesthewaythatMarjaneistrappedinmanyplacesandbetweenmanyconflictingideologiesandpeople.Shedoesnot,however,loseherabilitytospeakorherownagencyinherstruggleforafairlife.
