Assignment: Between the 'Past' and the 'Future'.

WARNING: THIS IS A VERY LONG BLOG POST.

Part A: Looking Back.

I've certainly done a lot and experienced a lot of interesting new things here through Integrated Studio. I took Visual Art in STPM but RUS 101 is something that I have never experienced before. When I found out about the courses that I was to take for this semester, I expected there to be a strong focus on the physical skills of drawing, colouring, etc. However, I was slightly taken aback by the huge focus there is on thoughts and thinking (and slightly excited too!).

Here is the summary of all that has happened since the first day, 11 weeks ago.

Assignments and Events:
1A: What I heard.
http://stephanie-usmhbp.blogspot.com/2010/07/what-i-heard.html

1B: Me, My Thoughts and I.

2A: Natural Structure - Bamboo.

2B: Man-Made Structure - Bamboo Sound Tool.

2C: Masks.

Dots and Lines.

3A: Casket4Me.

Cubes, Grids and Scales.

3B: My Black Box.

3C: 6BBBB.

4: Urbanity and Merdeka Countdown Idea.

5: Theatherette.

Merdeka Countdown Briefing and Rehearsal.

Merdeka Countdown @ Times Square.

6A: Survival Kit.

Lets also not forget some of the lectures especially those like:
APEX Introduction.
Dot, Line, Shape.
Addition-Subtraction.
Knowing the Self.
Layers.
Human Dimension.
From Nothing to Something.
Merdeka-A Rethink.

From all these studio works and lectures as well as all of En. Wan's spontaneous lectures and impartation (they really do challenge you to think), I have grown as a design student and definitely have improved in my design, thinking and artistic skills. I have always been the kind of person that loves to think but I have to admit that it was a bit of a challenge to keep up with and grasp the ideas that En. Wan and the other lecturers threw at us.

Thinking back, true that I have made a lot of mistakes and regretted many of my decisions but I shall learn from the good and the bad of the past. Something that I've learnt is that what you think is enough isn't always enough. Only the best that you can give is enough. I also learnt that comparison isn't always good. It is best to compare yourself to your past self so that you can improve as a person and not be destroyed by the negative thoughts of comparison to others. You should learn from others but not despise yourself because you think others as more superior that yourself become like nothing.


Part B: Looking Forward.

A huge topic of discussion in the media, the science world, politics, classroom, the general public and even in Integrated Studio is of course the whole 'apocalypse' prediction surrounding 21 December 2012.

Most people think that since the end date of the 26,000 year Mayan Long Count calendar falls on that day, there will be great destruction that will completely destroy planet earth. 'The End of the World' they call it. There is so much fear and belief surrounding this prediction that people have already started to prepare for the oncoming of this event. One such example is the building of 2012 Shelters. Here's a link to the site: http://www.hardenedstructures.com/2050727/2012Shelters.aspx

Another group of people however, thinks that day will mark a new beginning instead for humankind. According to them, this will be a chance for humanity to create a new world of peace and harmony together. All this happens when a consciousness shift happens due to a certain cosmic event.

Now that 2012 is approaching (and at a fast rate!) how can I expect to contribute to this upcoming event? Well, I believe unity is key. When unified, mankind has the power to change their destiny, God willing. If disaster happens, it is true that we cannot stop it. However, through unity we can survive better as having people to look out for and assist each other definitely increases chances of survival. So I shall play my part to unite with all Malaysians and ultimately, all mankind so that we can survive all that may happen on that day.

I am very interested to see what happens on 21 December, 2012. Who's theory or 'prophecy' will be proven or disproved? Will something no eye has seen nor ear has heard happen? Or will 24 hours just pass by like normal? Will it be a supernatural, natural, or man-made phenomenon? Whatever it is, it is something that can only be revealed on that date. So far, no form of fear has kicked in on my part. Sometimes I ponder on this question: Why is mankind obsessed with predicting the future?

Till that day, I shall do my best to serve my family, community, state and country.


Part C: What I Can Leave Behind.

We were asked to design a monument to remember all that has past and by doing that, also to help the viewers of the monument to look forward and strive towards the future.

A part of this assignment was to visit the Jewish Cemetery at Jalan Zainal Abidin (formerly Jalan Yahudi) to take a look at the burial sites of Jews in Penang. Tombstones are a form of a monument to the dead.

This is the gate of the cemetery, a heavy wrought iron gate.

A typical grave in the cemetery. Most of the graves resemble caskets, some with triangular lids and others with cylindrical ones.

Weather beaten grave marking.

Most, if not all of the grave markings had Hebrew words on it. Unfortunately, I can't read Hebrew. Some of the older grave markings did not have English words. This one for example, is in both languages. Some of the interesting sounding names I noted from the graves are David Mordecai, Sason Hai Jacob, Ephraim Aboody Nahoum, and Abraham Reuben Ezekiel Abdullah Gubai. Some of these names are very old Jewish names like David, Mordecai, Jacob, Ephraim, Nahoum (or Nahum), Abraham, Reuben, and Ezekiel which dates back to biblical times.

The Star of David or 'Magen David' meaning "shield of David" that is commonly associated with Jewish people and is also found on the flag of Israel.

Small graves without any markings, maybe of children?

A large grave.

So, as we can see, graves as personal monuments signify something or rather someone that has passed away and have gone to a different place for a different time. Death is the end but also a different kind of beginning. With that in mind, I have designed a monument that plays with this idea of the passing of the old leading to the new. This concept may apply to 211212 (December 12, 2012) depending on what actually happens on that day. At the very least, this monument can be representative of the ending of the Mayan Long Count calendar towards a new beginning. 

Here's where my original idea lies. I received some colourful markers (magic markers we used to call it as children) and decided to scribble with it.

Here is my monument design which is to be made out of bamboo culm poles and strips.

As you can see, there is two main structure in my monument, one that is in the middle, simpler, not aesthetically pleasing and another that is more complex and beautiful which is surrounding the internal structure. The external structure looks like it is taking over or engulfing by growing around the internal poles. This basically signifies the new taking over the old which may happen in 2012. Just as the past affects the future, the internal structure is providing a strong structure to ensure that the external formation can hold. The external object is also made up of many intertwined bendable bamboo strips which shows that when we unite we can conquer the past and move on towards a better future.