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.