eVerYthing mashed up into one post

Well hear I am back at blogging again.
Some how things seem to be slowing down for me at the moment.
Exams, spending time with my mate who went on her world tour took up my time are among the few that lead to the inactivity of this blog.

Whats new?
The latest event for the past 6 Sundays, I have been attending a workshop organized by KYRSS and an art gallery call Reka Art’s Space. Right now I should be working on the piece that I am to submit in about 12 hours time and I think I am a bit stump. Maybe I am recollecting whatever that happened in the workshop.

Alright what are these workshops about? The first 3 weeks were discussions on identity gender and sexuality and the last 3 weeks were meant for the participants to express their thoughts through art.
1.
The first few questions that popped in my head was what is an artist? But that question was in my mind long before this workshop started. Well the search is over, I finally got the answer the my question.

A man who works with his hands is a labourer;
A man who works with his hands
and his brains is a craftsman;
A man who works with his hands and his brains
and his heart is an artist

- quote from Louis Nizer, lawyer to Salvador Dali and Charlie Chaplin.

To me art has to be personal but than the matter of personal is rather ambiguous.

I got to say that going to the workshop made me spend more time in the library and I discovered Picasso other than Frida Kahlo who was always my favourite artist.
2.
Back to the workshop...So before I joined this workshop my thoughts on identity was that gender and sexuality is a subset of gender and sexuality. But now come to think of it if how you feel towards a person be it loathing or sexually attraction can mold who you are.
What I am questioning now is that what if identity is a large painting, Would the details that make out the painting consist of sexual preference and gender?
What makes the painting a painting anyway. The texture of the paper? The colors embedded? The scratches on the surface of the material that you are using? More questions that needs to be answered.
3.
Why would an obese person repulse me somehow? Some people feel pity when they know that someone don’t believe in God, or the God that they believe in anyway (eyes rolling here)

4. So what is identity, sexuality and gender?
Still in the dark but here are some Highlights from the workshop

There is no one marker to identify a single straight female (still really from the shock and will explain in detail some other time)

It grossed me out to see a daughter kissing her biological father in an intimate way but some how it wasn’t that repulsive watching her kiss her mother. Question. Why so?!?

Obese people don’t repulse me but watching human bodies being treated as cattle i.e hanging on the meat hooks really disgusted me. Thankfully I saved myself by switching to a third person mode. Thats when most of my emotions were tuned out.

Story that pissed me off the most was the story of a disable aboriginal girl who was raped by an officer who worked in a department who were suppose to take care of the aborigine’s rights and well being. Talk about ironic. To cap it off the only reason why he was found out is because she got pregnant Even then when asked for a RM 5000 compensation the guy paid RM 2500 and disappeared. Argh writing this down still enrages me. No wonder we need a fictional character like superman or spiderman. The Heroes of justice

Alright cool down …1.2.3.4.5.6.7 breathes deeply bla

5.
I think I am partially humbled by the fact that artist draw every chance they have and I have been lamenting that I can’t draw as well blabla and lamenting just leaves you with nothing. Still some how I don’t know but staring at the empty white paper and taking the first step drawing is somewhat scary all the time for me. Maybe its like the initial reluctance to jump into a pool of cold water when you want to go swimming. You want to go into the pool inch by inch but you know it is definitely easier in the long run if you just jump in the pool.