Michele Cole by Michele

Michele97 — 2014-09-16 00:42:36 UTC

Assignment #1 Ilê Aiyê

Michele97 — 2014-09-25 01:31:50 UTC

This movie is about three different women who are competing to be the Carnival Queen of Ile Aiye.The Organization Ile Aiye is a group that aims to empower the Bahian black community, and the competition focuses on African standards of beauty as opposed to European ideas of what makes a woman beautiful. This movie was shorter than I expected, and moved at a quick pace. Some of the lasting impressions I had of the film was how emotional the three women got as they preformed, with one girl in particular being moved to tears as she continued to dance. Although the routines were beautiful, I felt the most moving part of the film was watching how this competition empowered Aurelina, Joseane, and Talita.

Cediel - Response to Michele - Assignment #1

NivesArtista — 2014-09-29 18:07:09 UTC

Your summary clearly captures the feel and content of the film. I am glad you included your opinions as part of the summary. You clearly understand the significance of the "Deusa do Ebano" competition - celebrating "African standards of Beauty." Cultural standards of beauty is a huge part of any diaspora ( we will dialogue about this in class).

What questions came up for you while watching the film? Always follow your summary/response with a few questions.

Artist Statement

Michele97 — 2014-10-04 22:01:32 UTC

I make art simply to create. For me art is a way to express certain facets of myself that would otherwise go unexplored, and a way to create physical manifestations of a certain mood or a feeling that would otherwise disappear after a few hours. Looking at a collage I made or a drawing I sketched or a video of me dancing reminds me of who I was in that moment, and how I felt at that time, not unlike reading an old journal. For me art is always an expression of joy. When I feel sad or apathetic I am unable to create, and if I am forced to produce something for an assignment when I feel like this I never feel a connection to the finished product. In contrast, on sunny weekend days where I feel good, I will spontaneously create something that holds deep meaning for me, even years afterwards. What is unique about my art is the spontaneity of it. In moments of inspiration I don’t feel particularly tied to any one art form, so it could take the form of anything, from a drawing, to a knitted creation, to a short story. My art is never planned and is always an authentic representation of who I was when I created it.

Sketch

Michele97 — 2014-10-04 22:04:54 UTC

Collage

Michele97 — 2014-10-04 22:09:50 UTC

Ron- Response to Artist Statement

ronyaboy — 2014-10-15 18:36:04 UTC

Is there a way to put a quick description of how you started your creative "arting" for lack of a better term?

Halli-Response to Artist Statemen

2014-10-19 17:46:23 UTC

Hey Michelle! What holds you back from expressing dance when your sad? Why don't you take those emotions and put it into your movements?

Danae: Response to Artist Statement draft 1

dhusary15 — 2014-10-20 00:44:06 UTC

The spontaneity of your art is what makes it so real and a glimpse of who you were in that moment. I think that is such a great realization because as we mature, our art does too. I know for me my dance style has changed tremendously since even freshman year. I am curious to know why it is you feel like you cannot create when you are sad. It is an opportunity where emotions are in full exposure and you are possibly able to learn something about yourself that you didn't know or dig somewhere deeper. Is it because of vulnerability that you cannot produce art when you are sad? What about when you are angry?

Slums, Drums, & Capoeria

Michele97 — 2014-10-20 01:02:03 UTC

This documentary follows the efforts of Tiane and Paolo "Peanut" Cesar as they struggle to open a capoeria school in the slum of Rocinha. Weaving in historical context with current social issues, the film paints a clear picture of the significance capoeria has had both today and in the past. Diaspora is a recurring theme in the movie, since the practice of capoeria cannot be separated from its creation under the brutal practice of slavery and the oppression of black Brazilians. Capoeria in the early years was violent, but had to be disguised as dance to fool plantation owners, making capoeria a blend of dance and fight. After the abolishment of slavery, capoeria continued to be illegal until 1930, further evidence of the oppression and attempted erasure of black Brazilian culture. The theme of diaspora was also further explored as the topic of poverty was also significant to the film. The local (although it applies globally) issues the movie tackled was the trap of poverty and violence that so many disadvantaged youth fall into- the very kids that the school was designed to service. Even with their limited resources the group leaders do their best to help, although some kids like one named Sushi do fall through the cracks. The genres presented were the different styles of capoeria, specifically Angola and Regional styles, which are different in terms of speed, philosophy, and presentation.

Some questions that arouse during the film were:

What caused the split between Angola and Regional capoeria? Because it had to be practiced in secret, what modifications did the practice of capoeria undergo due to its underground nature? Why is it so difficult to raise money for the school?

Artist Statement 2nd draft

Michele97 — 2014-10-20 01:31:07 UTC

Edits from 1st draft marked by italics

I make art simply to create. For me art is a way to express certain facets of myself that would otherwise go unexplored, and a way to create physical manifestations of a certain mood or a feeling that would otherwise disappear after a few hours. I don't remember how or when I started creating, it has simply always been a part of who I am and how I express emotion. Looking at a collage I made or a drawing I sketched or a video of me dancing reminds me of who I was in that moment, and how I felt at that time, not unlike reading an old journal. For me art is always an expression of joy. When I feel sad or apathetic I am unable to create, and if I am forced to produce something for an assignment when I feel like this I never feel a connection to the finished product. For me expressing negative emotions in my art is not therapeutic, but causes me to dwell on whatever it is that is upsetting me and shut down creatively. For me my art is a moment in time that I want to remember and on sunny weekend days where I feel good, I will spontaneously create something that holds deep meaning for me, even years afterwards. What is unique about my art is the spontaneity of it. In moments of inspiration I don’t feel particularly tied to any one art form, so it could take the form of anything, from a drawing, to a knitted creation, to a short story. My art is never planned and is always an authentic representation of who I was when I created it

Manifesto

Michele97 — 2015-04-17 03:32:39 UTC

There are several defining characteristics that I feel are central to the person that I am and the person I want to be. To me loyalty and unconditional love are very important things to both give and receive from the people I am closest to. I am very political, and I place a very high value on staying informed about current events and how history shapes our world today. I want to be educated on the circumstances I find myself in, and the situations that have shaped the people around me. I am very passionate about social justice, and care deeply that the world moves in a fairer, kinder, and more sustainable direction. I value art, music, and dance, and strive to incorporate it in all aspects of my life. Empathy and compassion are the two most important traits to me, and I try hard to become a more open minded and understanding person. I desire things to be authentic, and I really admire when people are unafraid to carve a strong identity for themselves and stay true to their personalities, something I hope to uphold for myself.

Michele97 — 2015-04-21 15:24:44 UTC

Michele97 — 2015-04-21 15:25:04 UTC

Michele97 — 2015-04-21 15:25:21 UTC

Response to Michele

NivesArtista — 2015-04-27 20:25:11 UTC

You have established a trajectory for your manifesto. You start by saying 'there are several defining characteristics.' Those characteristics are enumerated but they are not showing up boldly. How can you showcase such characteristics as "loyalty, empathy and compassion?" You don't even need to state that there are several characteristics, simply lay them out and back them up. How are you loyal, when are you empathetic