Prompt:

This reading by Jill Bennett discusses art that attempts to speak about the lived experience of others related to conflict, loss, and trauma. The author argues: “visual art presents trauma as a political rather than a subjective phenomenon.” Bennett also refers to Gilles Deleuze, who discusses the workings of affect and various emotions in relation to facts and intelligence, and emphasizes the role of empathy in such art work. Provide your opinion about her argument; do you agree or disagree?

Response:

For the reading by Jill Bennett, she references visual art presenting trauma as political and how empathy stirs emotions in people. I personally agree with this argument of trauma art being political to some extent as the notions and purpose of art is to communicate an idea to the audience, especially if the purpose of the art was to promote awareness of the traumatic event. From this standing of art as being a means of communication that stirs political beliefs and accentuates emotions and personal philosophies, I would argue that this is true through reflection upon the “globalization of fear” of terrorism, reflection of personal experience visiting the memorial site of the twin towers, and reflection of Zora; but from an alternative perspective, I will argue that such politicization ignores fragments of reality and blinds us from empathizing with certain parties (Bennett 19). 

Firstly, I would first and foremost argue that art and the presentation of events can stir collective opinions and emotions towards a certain element. For example, when 9/11 and the “War on Terror” occurred during the 2000s, there was a common villain that was created through the “globalization of fear” (19). This villain would be terrorists, but the interpretation of trauma that was disseminated, created an othering of the Middle East as villains in general. This sort of trauma wasn’t only a presentation of politics as becoming a collective and singular feeling, but it is also argued that this sort of presentation utilizes the “mobilization of binaries that fix the victim in opposition to the oppressor produces an illegitimate extrapolation by which the victim is ipso facto equated with “good” (19). Essentially this creation of the villain character through the fabricated feeling of trauma not only serves the political role of establishing and us and them through empathy and collectivism, but it also establishes a moral premise for good and bad and what’s wrong and right. This can be observed in the victimization of the US from the terrorist attack of 9/11 where their extended actions of escalating a war in Iraq and others become justified as they become the “good” side. This creation and fabrication of being on the “right” side of politics in a way removes the emotions of horror and terror when referring to the actions of the US and diminishes the role of empathy towards the “good” side of the traumatic event. Essentially, I would argue that the establishment of morality in the presence of politics creates a focus of empathy for particular events, but in effect, also conceals the application of morality when viewing trauma from the alternate perspective of the Middle Eastern citizens being razed and bombed for actions that do not concern them.

Secondly, I want to refer to my personal experience of experiencing this trauma art where I would consider the 9/11 memorial in New York trauma art. When I visited New York in 2015, I didn’t feel that attachment to the traumatic accident that occurred 14 years ago. I was someone that was a second generation immigrant in a country that promoted diversity yet instilled racism. I was someone that experienced isolation from my peers due to the color of my skin and the cultural values that I was raised by. This division of Americanism and chineseness promoted by my peers essentially created a lack of patriotism and divided identity that I experienced. As an individual, I could never erase my ancestral roots, yet the lack of belonging and community from my “American” peers created this lack of patriotism towards America and moreso created a sense of apathy towards topics related to an American identity. Hence, when I visited this memorial, I couldn’t feel the emotions others felt, I couldn’t feel the trauma and feeling of being scarred that others felt, and I couldn’t feel the patriotism that others felt. This memorial, meant to bury the memories of the people who died in history, didn’t create the feeling of trauma for me. For me, it was just a historical artifact that recalled the past. I couldn’t feel this empathy and relate to the event as others do. From this personal experience of experiencing a lack of empathy and a lack of connection to the event, I would use this counter example to argue that the resonation of emotions is crucial for creating collective empathy and emotions towards certain ideas. While the 9/11 act of terrorism created this “globalization of fear” and created moral standards of good and evil on an international level, there is a lack of empathy that I could experience on a personal level which created this lack of commonality experienced. Empathy becomes the standard for perspective and the reception of trauma art with political messages, but the lack of empathy actually creates a holistic perspective towards the fragments of reality as empathy doesn’t blind the observations of the viewer. 

Lastly, I wanted to refer to my personal project which is the creation of the architectural interpretation of Zora as well as the photography series regarding the traumatic ending of Zora. Firstly, I feel that the representation of the traumatic end of Zora through interpretive narrative photos does create a sense of politics within my piece, particularly referring to the governance of Zora. This sort of creation of this imaginary city and the records of this city create a possible attachment, however, like the previous example of going to the memorial site of 9/11, there is a lack of empathy that can be experienced due to the abstract portrayal and lack of reality of the city. This sort of disconnection between the real and the fake creates this lack of empathy and collectivism that can be felt where the audience will not think from a perspective of a Zorak. They would view it from the perspective of a human in the 21st century. This sort of experience wouldn’t stir the emotions of the viewer, but could possibly intrigue them of this possible world as it remains foreign to them. This otherness compared to the self, from the audience perspective, would communicate a sense of political illiteracy and empathetical failure which deducts the likelihood of interpreting art in a collective manner. This would inadvertently become a subjective interpretation due to the lack of connection that one can make with the subject of the piece in which trauma as political cannot be ascertain as true. In this case, I would argue that there must be a connection to the empathetic elements of a piece before there can be a political interpretation that may create a collective perspective.  

Works Cited

Bennett, Jill. “On the Subject of Trauma.” Empathic Vision. Ed. Mieke Bal, Ed. Hent de Vries. Standford: Standford University, 2005. 1-21. Print

Work Analyzed: Sala de Trabalho by Alfonso Tostes

About the Work: Sala de Trabalho is an installation work that exhibits a series of tools that represent and have connections to past uses in relation to nature. They were created using demolition wood and unused metals to create the historic atmosphere and feeling of the tools where these tools all represent an aspect of the mending, destruction, and control of nature creating the concept of the interrelationships between nature and humans. 

This is a side view of the installation that is installed on the wall. This shows the variety of tools and the details of the texture. It also shows the placement of such items. 

This is a quote from the philosopher Emanuele Coccia in which inspired Tostes to create this piece. It reflects how nature is a part of humans and nature is at the center of humankind. This refers to both the utilization of such tools, tools itself, and humans. 

Reflection of Experience

For the experience, it has two connections to the course being the relationship between fabricated interpretation of history through allusions to historical tools and the utilization of nature as authority and knowledge. Firstly, the project is essentially using fabrication of materials that appear to be rusty as a means of alluding to the memory of historical usage. This is to refer to tools as a historical element of progression of humans as well as create a sense of history for the installation itself. This essentially uses the perception of time and knowledge of time to create something to be believable as a historical tool to create this narrative of a reality. 

Furthermore, in using nature as the premise of creation, it creates a sense of authority of being objective as nature is a prerequisite for human activity. Being based upon the philosophical quote of what is human and what is nature by Emanuele Coccia, it creates connections between humanness and the natural surrounding. As nature is alluded to through the tools, the connection is established between tools as nature and humans that utilize this. This makes a stronger presentation and feeling of reality as there is applicability that can be felt from humans as a connection to history. This is due to past knowledge of history that’s passed on and remembered by people which creates this believable connection of the installation as a bridge between currently reality and the past. 

Selected Work: Istanbul, 2005

The work, Istanbul, 2005, (Apartment of Safiye Behar) intrigues me because it explores the fragility of historical identity through presentation of the character as repressed, manipulation of facts, and the assumption of reality. Firstly, I believe that the position and choice of presenting the character as repressed essentially creates this mist regarding the authenticity of identity as it overrides the schematic assumption of history that a famous person may have. When it refers to “the exposure of a previously repressed history”, it conceals the authenticity of history as something that the author provides voice to (Lambert-Beatty 53). Being someone that is provided voice and being noticed, it creates an assumed real presence which was important to create this narrative of a real person. In this sense, it was very much successful as the audience is exposed to an unknown story where the facts cannot be confirmed, but can be assumed to be true. 

This is further orchestrated in the manipulation of facts revolving Safiye where real characters such as Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and locations such as Beyoglu and Sorbonne are intertwined with her repressed narrative. Surrounding this fictional character around these real people and characters would then create a sense of truth due to the role that this character played in the narrative. For example, when she’s connected with Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, she’s introduced as a friend and possible romance subject of the leader. This sort of presentation already creates an assumed role that’s played by Safiye being a woman and a private character that’s more mysterious. Being presented as someone that’s a side character makes a successful narration as facts can be contributed to her as the reality cannot be confirmed, but only assumed. This is more presentable as it there is a video interview of the grandson of the Safiye, Melik Tutuncu, a Chicago architect. This presentation not only confirms her existence, but provides evidence of a family lineage which creates familial evidence of existence. Even after showing this evidence, the author talks about what happened to the rest of the immediate family who died from a “freak accident” (53). This deletes possible inquiries that people may have on sources of knowledge to confirm this person’s existence and the reality of the claims. It essentially creates the sensation that Safiye was “real” because of the sources of knowledge provided.

Lastly, Safiye being able to be “real to me [Blum]” is the assumption of reality factor that contributes heavily to the success of this narration (53). In order to formulate a parafiction narrative that’s believable, it’s important for the author themself to believe this reality. In this sense, being able to be a part of this world where Safiye exists would contribute to this believable narrative as one is essentially intertwined in the two spectrums of existence. Not only can this be seen in Blum’s narration and project, but this sensation of existence, reality, and the true reality can be observed in movies such as the Truman Show in which Truman is a part of a set reality that he believes to be the true reality only to find the actual truth. By utilizing this example as a connection or mirroring of Safiye’s existence, Blum essentially assumes the current reality is one that includes Safiye. The portrayed perspective of belief would contribute to the reception of belief from those that view this work. To simplify, the act of personal belief in a narration is crucial to success as a whole as confidence can either make or break the narrative due to its fragile nature. 

Works Cited

Lambert-Beatty, Carrie. “Make-Believe: Parafiction and Plausibility.” October, vol. 129, 2009, pp. 51–84., https://www.jstor.org/stable/40368563.

Weir, Peter, director. The Truman Show.

Project Description

Brief

The project revolves around creating a narrative regarding the city of Zora to make the city believable, in which the language was the core of the narration. What is the city of Zora? Zora is a city created by Zor, the color god, that explores the paradox of time due to the Zorak’s failure of obeying Zor. It’s described as a city that none can forget when they are there, yet at the present, it’s a city that none can remember. This paradox of detail is due to the passing of time that has occurred where the city has been destroyed by Zor and is lost in the memories of people rather than a physicality of memory. In this sense, the city of the present is empty and only exists in the psychological sphere of humanity. While it is empty today, Zora did have an existing language called Zoran, revolving around colors and shapes that characterized the city. Zoran, being of colors and shapes, represents Zor themself. Rather than being a hieroglyphic or alphabetic language, Zoran is based upon color and shapes resembling Zor, the color god. This sort of usage of color as language, becomes a remnant of Zor that’s ingrained within the language. This is important because the sole reason that Zoraks were created were for the purpose of creating a word in the language of colors and language for Zor. In this case, Zoran becomes something constructed by the god Zor to construct the word Zor. Being a colorful spirit without form, creating a form of a word for Zor would be the intended purpose of Zoran. Of course, the city being created by Zor already represents Zor in color, thus it is nicknamed the City of Colors where the language construction and representation there is meant to shows the colors of Zor.

Research

The project has theoretical research revolving around linguistic theory and understanding of language, but deflects from norms of hieroglyph, characters, and alphabet for a language. That is to say that the research that was completed was more regarding the reception of the language, language structure, and universal languages rather than research regarding a certain type of language to inform my language.

Noam Chomsky’s Theory of Universal Grammar

One research that informed my language would be Noam Chomsky’s Theory of Universal Grammar which essentially is the theory that humans biologically can understand language in the same manner as children in all cultures are capable of learning language. It discusses how there is essentially the same language components in all languages with nouns, adjectives, verbs, and etc. Hence, the inspiration I attained from this research would be the language structures of all languages being that they have nouns, adjectives, verbs, and adverbs and attributed this language structure to Zoran.

From this, I embarked on my next step which is to consider universal languages that are utilized by the entire world. This led me to research more about the language of mathematics. For mathematics, I reviewed mathematics linguistics as a typed language to understand how it uses formal logic to communicate knowledge cross-culturally, focusing on symbols and notations within this language as a means of communication. Symbols such as (, {, <, [, }, ], +, -, and etc. are part of this typed language which is understood around the world. 

Furthermore, I looked into more basic and elementary components of language being language as sound. This would essentially be the language of music which has a set of notations for music, but also has cultural significance through the sound waves and tones emitted. For example, music as a tone is the simplest communication that occurs. While the interpretation of this language may differ, the sound created can communicate certain ideas to the audience which are universally accepted. Even simple aspects of music such as major keys and minor keys are universally understood components of music which communicate more happy or sad tones. But what is the purpose of creating a language that revolves around sound when all language revolves around it?

This led me to my third and final research component being color theory and the communication of colors cross-culturally. Color in the most practical manners is light reflected or absorbed. To communicate with color is to utilize light spectrums. While I didn’t consider utilizing the technical aspect of light in relation to color for my language, I focused on the communication of colors in cultures being that red is seen as a lucky color in China and white meaning death while in European culture, red means passion and white purity. While there is a difference of meaning, I received the inspiration of color as a language in which I built Zoran upon.

Context and Experience of Language

Zora and Zoraks, being constructed by the Light of Zor, are harmonious bodies with one another in which the experience of language usage and comprehension is interconnected. Firstly, the design of the Zoraks is that they themselves have tools for creating the shapes for communication while they can also understand the color being communicated by the eyedropper tool that is designed upon them. In this sense, the ideal way to experience this language has already been shaped through the design of the characters that utilize it as design is based upon the users. When the users are communicating they can create shapes in relation to their sentence structure and reference of relation which can easily be understood by other Zoraks due to the design of the Zorak. Thus, the best way to experience the language is to be a Zorak. If you aren’t a Zorak, the language would be difficult to understand, however, with the help of Photoshop and Pantone color references, it may be easier to experience this language. This language for a human would need to be communicated through digital means to properly create the color for communication.

Reflection

Reflecting on the overall design of the language as well as the feedback received during the presentation, I believe that I did well on the conceptual presentation of the language and how it operates with relation to conversation between Zoraks. For example, the components of the language structure (nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs) are all represented through the shapes. In addition, I categorized the types of nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs to aid in the communication and usage of this language so that it isn’t random. This is something that I did well on. Furthermore, I think that the concept of the language matches the explanation of the people in Zora very well as they are said to be the most learned. Having such a language based on the connection between slight deviation of tones of colors and memorizing this connection would portray this concept reflecting the city. As for the weaker aspects, I agree with the feedback that my language should be more organic in terms of shapes to define nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs as they are currently all geometrical. This would enforce the non-human aspect of my city more as it is inhabited by Zoraks, not humans. Other than that, I am very much satisfied with the language created.

Project Slides

For the create a language project, slides were created to present this idea.

Language Usage (Part II)

Work Analyzed: Forest City by Stefano Boeri

About the Work: Forest City essentially is an architectural model and concept in which humans and trees are built as a dynamic duo to foster biodiversity within the city. For this piece, it was not only a drawing and painting, but also an interactive three dimensional model that moved up and down to mimic the geographic landscape, creating the concept of the city as a place that was cultivated. 

This is a part of the project showing the architectural design of the city. It can be observed that there is a lot of greenery and greenery becomes a part of the buildings like a forest.

This is a quote by Stefano Boeri regarding his piece.

When raised, the project screen in the middle looks like this which a lot of architectural information on it. 

This is a clearer version of this projected landscape. It can be observed that this space is fully projected to mimic reality. 

This is essentially a design of this for Huanggang Vertical Forest Tree. It provides the location of this as well as the hectares that it will encapsulate.

The model for the Forest Cities is something else that creates an image of how the city will look like in context with the environment, providing a sort of truth around it. 

Reflection of Experience

For the experience, it has two main relations to the course being that the environment created is one that is dynamically changing and objectively planned as being doable. Firstly, the project is portrayed with the articulated geographic landscape installation which moves according to the natural setting. This creates the sense of dynamics where the movement of the surrounding essentially creates the narrative of this geographic city. Moreover, in using a 3 dimensional projection rather than a 2 dimensional portrayal, it adds depth to allowing me to believe the reality of this since it is something that has physicality in the presentation. It becomes a form that can be evaluated and imagined without having to imagine the relation between the environment and the city structure. 

Furthermore, as it is built by an architect, the works all have something to do with architecture which is something more objective in terms of the objectiveness it has in society. Since there are plans drawn as well as the usage of models, it argues this idea of this being an actual project or actual model really well. Moreover, it also lists a specific location for projects e.g. Huanggang which promotes the overall reliability and trust of the piece. In this sense, I would argue that the details surround the installation are extremely important, especially when it relates to the details of the geography of the environment. This is due to the value of detail, physicality, and presentation for creating this believable concept (or actual project). 

In the earliest of all time, Zor, the color spirit, would roam the void, spreading color within the void. The colors molded upon one another and the world was created. Zor, seeing this creation from combination, spit unto the world and humans were formed. They populated the entire world, but it was in the center of the world that Zor touched to form Zora. 

At first, Zora was full of big bland buildings in which the civilians lived simple lives. Zor, seeing this colorless city, placed a color beam of light in the middle of the city, signalling the humans to assemble. Reaching out their hand, Zor snapped color and pattern into this city, clapped Zoran (the language of shapes and color) into existence, and molded the transformation of humans into Zoraks with their colorful blood. The city, now bound with colors, shapes, and patterns, were now inhabited by Zoraks, the descendants of the blood of Zor. The newly formed Zoraks, without being binded by physical nature, touch their words into existence. With every touch, a shape and color are released. With every shape and color, a message is communicated. 

Zor, seeing their creation, took satisfaction, but Zor was troubled. In Zoran, there was no word for Zor. “All the colors and spectrums of the world, I’ve seen; all the shapes, I know; all the combinations, I’ve memorized, yet Zor is unknown to the world and to history,” said Zor. 

Zor, then speaking to the Zoraks, “I have given you resemblance and intelligence like thy, but thy must repay Zor with a word for Zor. Zor shall give you half a zo (billions of years) to create this word to my liking. If thy fails, Zora will fall and be lost forever.” Zor then continued to roam the voids within the voids, awaiting his return to Zora in half a zo.

[half a zo later, Zor returns with their color beam of life.]

Zor: “Sarcoline biddings, crimson cheer, I’ve come for my word that will flaxen yellow my Zor.”

[ZorakA approaches Zor.]

ZorakA: “Cheers, good lord. To the spirit of coquelicot, violet, and evergreen, welcome back to the land of Zora, home of the void.”

Zor: “Vantablack and Rasin. The color of thy mind is fearful. Hath the imaginated become a physicality, a fixed form in the void?”

ZorakA: “Zor, omnipresent and omnipotent, thy mind is Cyphochilus as a beetle, still as marine, and stable as a triangle. Thy and thy all hath minded a spectrums of Zor to address.”

[ZorakB approaches.]

ZorakB: “Zor of sangria violet, of ultraviolet, and ebony green. Zoraks have produced different roZ (colors) of Zor. Zor as Smaragdine and Mikado blend, a gradient of intensity to classify Zor as natural as Smaragdine, fine as Mikado, and lovely as Smaragdine-Mikado. The sphere of Zor.”

Zor: “Dath a color so primary, the shape so constructed. Can god be constructed and simple?”

ZorakB: “ZorakB be gray of shame and crimson of guilt. Thy blue and marine. Zor cannot be metallic gray constructed, Zor cannot be indigo simple.”

[ZorakB leaves and Zor faces ZorakA.]

Zor: “Hath the imaginated become a physicality, a fixed form in the void? Hath god been constructed a dath?”

ZorakA: “A physicality like graphene. Indestructible like carbon black. Thy hath conceptualized glacous and wenge integration. The shape of water of aegaen and admiral blue seas.”

Zor: “Dath a color secondary to all. A physicality without form, yet a physicality of inconsistence. Is Zor a gradient of nature, of abstraction, and definition?

[ZorakA angered, starts shouting.]

ZorakA: “ZorakA doesn’t understand the patterns of Zor. Nature itself is inconsistence, an abstraction of stability. Color is inconsistent yet consistent. Shapes are defined yet undefined. Is Zor bright red consist in inconsistency or yellow inconsistent in concistency, khaki shaped in formlessness or lepus blue shapeless in form, and emerald defined through the lack of definition or brown undefined in the presence of definition? Zor and roZ be a paradox of existence, a conflict of harmony, and a continuum of incontinuity? What is Zor?”

Zor: “Fulvous blasphemy, the bloody hell of scarlet, carmine, and burgundy. Does the blood of Zor, xanadu in depth, aqua of definition, and tangerine of intensity, not bid you shame in thy inquisition of thy blood? Zor is boundless of ivory description and sesame classification. Zor is Zor, thy blood and thy bloody life. Zor is thy colors which fill the void. Zor is Zor, omnipotent and omniscient. Thy blood dare vermillion defy Zor?

[ZorakC in a rage yells]

ZorakC: “If Zor were mahogany omnipotent and viridian omniscient, for what shamrock of a falu tick of time would tinted Zor need to come up with a neon word for Zor? Evergreen roZ should hail upon the highlighted trash of a yellow spirit.”

[Zor is angered]

Zor: “Thy question Zor, the creator of the seven spectrums, of all crystalized life, and all eburnean knowledge? Umber nothing can touch Zor yet ye hath bloody challenge the spirit of color? Black begone purple verve.”

[Zor ceases the conversation.]

Zor blew a breath at Zora, the Amaranth, Violet, and Sedona ravaged Zora. Like a crimson bloodbath, the Zoraks anguished with sangria pain from their core out. Their internal system crushed like silver, burned and decimated like fossil ash, and evaporated like a wisp of wood.

Slamming their hand onto the city, the city stopped in white-noise motion. Black, white, grey, carbon black, and ivory. There was a pause, an irreversible one. A blue freeze, a permafrost. Zora, colorless, and empty, being erased from the history of the world. The only pink remains… an illusion of a dream in the mind of humans of the creation of Zora when they reach the age of vertigo sixty-nine.

This is a part of the dream that humans on the birthday of age 69 will have, revolving around the city of Zora. It will go throughout the whole story during their slumber. This will be near the beginning, when Zor first appears on Zora to construct the city to his appearance. As this is a part of a dream, this imagery is only a gist of the vision that one has, but due to the lack of clarity, there are a lot of details that are ignored and cannot be rethought of. While this part of the dream isn’t too important, it provides something that is memorable about Zor’s appearance in Zora being the beam in which the surrounding is colorful. From this illustration, the color stands out as it’s plentiful much like the interpretation of Zora as a city of color that makes it everything pattern-like. 

From this interview or lore, the important facts about how color is integrated as a way of speaking informs the audience of the culture of the city. It informs them of the way that color is used to describe emotions, nouns, and more. Furthermore, this lore explores why Zora is stopped in time, providing an answer to the lost of this civilization as something caused by Zor, the god. Not only that, but it expands on philosophical ideas of omnipotence and omniscience. If everybody is super smart and is a reflection of the god, why can’t they create something for the god? If everything is already known, can something unknown be created? Is this why the most knowledgable from Zora couldn’t live long until now? These are some of the questions that my interview wishes to highlight.