Unit 2: Identity and story
Identity is the condition of being of being oneself. We typically see this word when describing who we are. It's used to describe who a person is. I define myself as very loyal, and caring, and a complete mess. Music is my number 1, I've been playing piano for about 12 years, and guitar about the same amount of time, but less frequently, I used to sing in the school/church choir and would canter some masses by myself in middle school before I decided singing in front of so many people and the whole school was too much. I love art, my uncle was an amazing artist, and since I was little I've been really into art. In 8th grade there was a contest to have your art be the whole churches christmas cards that they sent out and people would buy, and I won it, art was and still is a really good outlet for me. I genuinely don't know what makes me unique. I don't believe that I do stand out in a crowd, I believe that I blend in, I'm not very noticeable. I have always believed that I was born in the wrong generation. I believe I belong in an older generation, however since I was born in this generation there are definitely society norms that I have taken on, of course. I want to be perceived as tough, and I want people to know that I don't need help, I can do things on my own, I always have I'm not helpless or fragile, I've been through a lot, I grew up before I should have had to, let me be.
I was born in the middle of November, the youngest of 5 kids. I have 3 brothers and 1 sister, all older. For the most part, my childhood was okay, I would be outside playing with the other kids on my block from morning till dark everyday. I had to switch schools in 2nd grade, to a school where the kids really did not like me, and that's when people started bullying me. The bullying got worse and home got worse. By middle school I was dealing with my whole class making fun of me everyday, and learning that my mom was an alcoholic. As the years went on, my mom got worse, my dad got worse, my brother got worse, I got worse. My youngest older brother lived with my mom dad and I until he was about 23. He is 5 years older than me. He struggled with anger issues and I think took it out on me a lot. However, he also spent a lot of time with me, playing video games, watching TV, going to stores. Another one of my brothers lived with us for a couple of years, about when I was in 8th grade til half of my sophomore year and I felt that he was the only one who really cared to take care of me, since I was still a kid. Since I started high school, my mom has been in and out of the hospital for many reasons, all related to the drinking, whether it was her getting sick, or her falling and hurting herself bad enough to have to go. Before my junior year, my brother finally moved out, which scared me. I never lived with my parents by myself, I didn't know what to do. I have a lot of trouble connecting with people, and getting along with others. So, not having my brother on top of that made it more lonely than I thought it would get. I've struggled with mental health for a long long time. In November of 2016 just 10 days before I turned 16, my brother and his wife had a baby. Her name is Athena. I love her more than anyone, and they chose me to be to be her godmother. She has kept me holding on through all of the bad stuff, she makes me so happy, and I know I want to be around to watch her grow up. Junior year was a pretty bad year, a lot happened. My mom was going through a rollercoaster of detox and relapsing. It was ridiculous. My aunt had two strokes, one in December, one in April, my dad and sometimes my mom went up to see her and my Uncle everyday. She passed in May. This was the last person my dad had from his family that was alive. It was really hard on him. At the same time, a different aunt decided that I needed to move out of my parents and into her house. This summer was so hard, I was fighting with my mom a lot, my dad went to the hospital, I was dealing with having to leave home. I'm still having an incredibly hard time with everything and I still don't know what to do. I don't know what the next chapter of my story will be, but I'm hoping it involves going away somewhere.
I was born in the middle of November, the youngest of 5 kids. I have 3 brothers and 1 sister, all older. For the most part, my childhood was okay, I would be outside playing with the other kids on my block from morning till dark everyday. I had to switch schools in 2nd grade, to a school where the kids really did not like me, and that's when people started bullying me. The bullying got worse and home got worse. By middle school I was dealing with my whole class making fun of me everyday, and learning that my mom was an alcoholic. As the years went on, my mom got worse, my dad got worse, my brother got worse, I got worse. My youngest older brother lived with my mom dad and I until he was about 23. He is 5 years older than me. He struggled with anger issues and I think took it out on me a lot. However, he also spent a lot of time with me, playing video games, watching TV, going to stores. Another one of my brothers lived with us for a couple of years, about when I was in 8th grade til half of my sophomore year and I felt that he was the only one who really cared to take care of me, since I was still a kid. Since I started high school, my mom has been in and out of the hospital for many reasons, all related to the drinking, whether it was her getting sick, or her falling and hurting herself bad enough to have to go. Before my junior year, my brother finally moved out, which scared me. I never lived with my parents by myself, I didn't know what to do. I have a lot of trouble connecting with people, and getting along with others. So, not having my brother on top of that made it more lonely than I thought it would get. I've struggled with mental health for a long long time. In November of 2016 just 10 days before I turned 16, my brother and his wife had a baby. Her name is Athena. I love her more than anyone, and they chose me to be to be her godmother. She has kept me holding on through all of the bad stuff, she makes me so happy, and I know I want to be around to watch her grow up. Junior year was a pretty bad year, a lot happened. My mom was going through a rollercoaster of detox and relapsing. It was ridiculous. My aunt had two strokes, one in December, one in April, my dad and sometimes my mom went up to see her and my Uncle everyday. She passed in May. This was the last person my dad had from his family that was alive. It was really hard on him. At the same time, a different aunt decided that I needed to move out of my parents and into her house. This summer was so hard, I was fighting with my mom a lot, my dad went to the hospital, I was dealing with having to leave home. I'm still having an incredibly hard time with everything and I still don't know what to do. I don't know what the next chapter of my story will be, but I'm hoping it involves going away somewhere.
Unit 3: Protests (Artist Research)
Unit 4: Nature and Pattern (Artist Research)
Unit 5: Typography
Barbara Kruger was born on January 26, 1945 in Newark, New Jersey. She was an only child, her father worked as a chemical technician and her mother was a legal secretary. She went to school in Newark, Weequahic High School before being accepted to Syracuse University, where she took many art and design classes. She went to school in Syracuse for one year before moving to New York City, to take more advanced art classes at the Parsons School of Design. Marvin Israel was a graphic designer and one of Kruger's instructors, he had a big impact on her, he encouraged her to keep going and keep a professional portfolio when she started to get discouraged with art school.
After finishing school, she became an editor for many publication companies in New York. However, she wanted to pursue her own art career instead, and another artist found her work, and displayed it during an art show. Barbara Kruger's work has had a essential part in conceptual, feminist, and postmodern art. She often makes art with the theme of oppression and hypocrisy. She is extremely influential, especially to those struggling artists who make art in a similar style.
After finishing school, she became an editor for many publication companies in New York. However, she wanted to pursue her own art career instead, and another artist found her work, and displayed it during an art show. Barbara Kruger's work has had a essential part in conceptual, feminist, and postmodern art. She often makes art with the theme of oppression and hypocrisy. She is extremely influential, especially to those struggling artists who make art in a similar style.