Stage 5: Self-Awareness --> Inspiration: Poem: Festival by unknown writer

The Poem (not annotated)

The poem (annotated)

This poem shows the contrast between the older generation of people and the younger generation.

Differences:

Languages

Older generation: Dialect, Chinese

Younger generation: English

Lotus seeds (thinking)

Older generation: It is served during Chinese New Year as it is a symbolic food that brings good luck and fortune to those households that use them. Lotus seeds signify a family’s prosperity through time and signify their having many male offspring.

Younger generation: It is just a type of candy.

Food

Older generation: Prefers light steamed food such as steamed fish and vegetables as it’s healthier and has always been what they've been eating since young.

Younger generation: Prefers stronger taste food such as pizzas and fried chicken as they want a change from the ‘tasteless’ food. They also feel that these foods are better.

Performances

Older generation: Appreciates traditional Chinese entertainment like operas and lion dances.

Younger generation: Does not appreciate traditional entertainment and prefers westernized entertainment such as rock hits and television series.

Spring Couplets

Older generation: Auspicious words such as: 福 (luck) 、年年有余、 (prosperity throughout the year)

Younger generation: Quotations from Shakespeare

Stage 2: Interpret --> Inspiration: Freedom is everything by Sakshi Gupta

Photo Credits :http://theredlist.fr/wiki-2-351-382-1160-1272-view-india-pakistan-profile-gupta-sakshi.html

What household object does this artwork resemble? 
It resembles an old traditional carpet.

What materials did the artist use to make this artwork? Where do you think the artist got the materials from?
The materials used are car bearings,wheels and metal. The artist could have gotten this from industrialized areas or a shop that sell spare car parts.

Why do you think the artist chose to use these particular materials to create this artwork?
The materials used are car bearings,wheels and metal which are all man made materials. They are also vital for the building of buildings and is heavily important in building machinery. As these materials are vital for technology and machinery, i think that the artist is trying to use that to represent modernization. These dull materials are neatly arranged to form a carpet. I feel that the carpet represents tradition as the carpets has a rich history.

What is the artist trying to show?
I feel that the artist is trying to show viewers that tradition is dying. It had lost its appeal. People thinks that freedom is everything and they do not want to be tied down by traditions( restrictions). People wants freedom and they see traditions as an obstruction to newer and innovative ideas.

-Losing traditions
-There will be a conflict between the old and the new.

Stage 2: Interpret --> Inspiration: Translated vase by Yee Sook Yong

Photo credits: http://www.spencerart.ku.edu/collection/recent/yeesookyung.shtml

What it inspired me?

The use of white porcelain reminds me of the Chinese porcelain that I have seen in people’s houses as well as in history books. It made me thought of the history of these vases and how old they've been. It made me research more about the Chinese porcelain.

Stage 1: Explain Aspect: Modernization breaks traditions

Modernization breaks one's own customs and practices. They become happier in terms of the quality of life due to modernization and the application of science and technology as life is not as arduous and inconvenient as before. People in the society are always coming up with new ideas and better ways of making life easier and more enjoyable. Due to the introduction of science and technology, people preferred the newer and easier way of doing things instead of the older and complicated way of doing things. And as the world accepts technology willingly due to its high benefits, the world becomes complacent. Work that could be done by machinery or the computers, men will leave it to technology to do its work. The world is fixated in moving forward and in creating a futuristic world that they forget about the past. The customs and practices their ancestors worked hard to preserve. People forget the values imparted from their own tradition as the society becomes more modern and westernized. Instead of abiding the customs and values of their own traditions and viewing traditions as a matter of great importance and value, people becomes complacent and does not find it necessary to ‘reminisce the past’ and to ‘move on’. They now view traditions as something that is old fashioned and troublesome, something that need not be heeded. They adopt western cultures instead of sticking to their own cultures. Slowly, they lost touch from their own cultures and instead of being who they really are, they become a foreigner and loses their identity. The connection with their own culture is gone damaged by modernization and technology. 

Ideas

This is just a gist idea on where i should start on this project.

Impacts of modernisation:
~Dilution of identity
~Dilution of customs,traditions and culture
~Dilution of neighborliness
~Affects the earth(e.g global warming)
~Losing the authenticity in food and clothing
~Breaking traditions (chosen)

About the assignment

Blog Assignment

Art and Literature Integrative Unit on Symbolism

To prepare for your final project, you are required to keep a blog to document the various learning stages. Please follow the proposed learning schedule during the June holidays. You are required to work on them in your assigned pairs.

Learning Stages (Facets of Understanding)	Task	Schedule
Stage 1: Explain Choose a topic/subject matter and justify the topic you have chosen.	You will need to provide a 150-200 words account to justify what aspect about modern living you wish to focus on. You should discuss with your partner on what appeals to both of you and decide on the approach.	1 June 2013 to 8 June 2013
Stage 2: Interpret Make subjects personal or accessible through images, anecdotes, analogies, and models.	(i)Upload pictures and articles that are a source of inspiration for you from websites on your blog. Remember to cite the source of these articles and pictures so that there is no infringement of copyright.  (ii) Provide a sketch of your art work and an outline of the poem. You will need to provide a historical or personal dimension to ideas and events. Think out of the box, consider different ways to make meaning.	9 June 2013 to 15 June 2013
Stage 3: Apply Adapt what you know in diverse contexts. Show how the historical events, personal experiences can translate the topic into an art form or a Literature poem.	Start on your project. Choose an art form that both of you are confident in doing, to convey the message. This message will also need to be conveyed in your free verse poem. *You can choose to start on either the art work or the poem first.	16 June 2013 to 22 June 2013
Stage 4: Have perspective and Empathize Have self-knowledge: Perceive the personal style, prejudices, and habits of mind that both shape and impede our own understanding. Develop awareness of what they do not understand and why understanding is so hard.	By referring to your friend’s blog, please write an entry on your blog and comment on the following: (i)            your friend’s choice of art form and the approach used (ii)          choice of topic conveyed in the free verse poem (iii)          Did you  value in what others might find odd, alien, or implausible? (iv)         Is there any hidden meaning behind certain things?	23 June 2013 to 29 June 2013
Stage 5: Self-Awareness Comment on one another’s blog posts and see if there is value in what they have chosen to focus on in their art work and poem.	Individual Task(to be uploaded on your Blog) : Write a 150 to 200 word reflection on your experiences of going through the Art and Literature Integrative Learning Unit. Your reflection must address the following: (i)            what was an important discovery you made about symbolism? (ii)          what was useful about conveying meaning through the use of symbols? (iii)         How was your art work or poem able to shed meaning and insight on the topic you have chosen? (iv)         Choose another art work or poem that you found inspiring and informative with regards to the topic on modern living.	(1 July 2013 to 5 July 2013)