Through this project I reflected who I am and the values I have on my mask. I created an “olive branch” halo around the top of my mask to represent my drive to promote peace and justice, while combing my interest in the law in general. I also included white dogwood flowers in the halo to represent the state tree of Missouri, as that is where i’m from. I included the quote “I Dissent” to represent my admiration for Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the beliefs she emitted. I also included a colorful handprint with bandaids across it to represent my desire to work in pediatrics, specifically as a Child Life Specialist. I added a soccer ball streaking down the right eyebrow, to symbolize my love for soccer and my injury as I added 9 staples for the 9 stitches I got there.
As I've only been a New Yorker for the past 5 months, I've learned that art plays such a large role in everyday life. Through the seminar class, I've learned that truly art is all around us and has so many ambiguous forms that I never took into consideration before. For instance tattoos and graffiti are art forms I never fully appreciated before. With this project, I got to explore how I can create my own art, in my own way. There is no true definition and by making a project inspired by me, I feel like I've grown as a person and can understand and appreciate the arts more than I ever did before. Art isn't just a decoration, it's a way to communicate, which is exactly what the mask does. With that, it's an opportunity to open people up and allow them to understand each other and connect, even in such a big city.
