star of my life - ubc blogsblogs.ubc.ca/lled4492016/files/2016/05/star-of-my-life.pdf · with their...
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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.