Today we watched a film, A Brush with the Tenderloin. Reflect on how muralist Mona Caron uses her art to paint into view a hidden part of San Francisco's landscape.
Reflect on this film when we get to Marjane Sarapi's art in The Complete Persepolis?
How is one's imagination sometimes inadequate in depicting certain realities? How does the art help one conceptualize unspeakable or unimaginable realities like poverty and war, homelessness and alienation?
In three paragraphs, minimally, reflect on the art and the artist and the way artists tell stories. Is this a different kind of narrative? What do the two genres share?
http://abrushwiththetenderloin.com/
Homework
1. Bring in examples of a block quote, a shorter citation and a free paraphrase.
Also bring in your grammar style book, whether that is Diana Hacker or come other resource. Continue reading in The Dance Boots.
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12 comments:
Marie Heide
13 February 2012
Prof. Sabir
English 1B
Today in class, we watched a video about an artist named Mona Caron who was asked to paint a mural in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco. As Ms. Caron worked her way down to the bottom of the building where she was painting the mural, the residents of the Tenderloin made their presence known. Their curiosity and diversity was shining through to Ms. Caron who was able to translate their personalities and contributions to the community into color.
Art is a way to express something in terms of how it is or how it should be from someone else’s perspective. Mona Caron observed the atmosphere around her, and made something that is typically viewed as ugly, into something beautiful. Our imagination would rather depict things in a way that is visually pleasing to everyone. In this case, The Tenderloin district, all that people see on a daily basis is ugliness; the homelessness, poverty etc. The mural depicts the people of the Tenderloin community as people, not only as societies homeless and misfortune people.
Paint is a beautiful way to tell a story. Instead of a book that is generally printed in black ink on white paper, art is expressed in color. We are visually submerged in a sea of reds and blues and green that seem to captivate our minds in such a way that literature cannot. Our thoughts are presented to us on that canvass, which is larger than life. Unlike art, literature requires that our mind paint the picture for us.
Thoughtful response Marie Heidi.
Brittney Brunner
13 February 2012
Professor Sabir
English 1B
I myself have been to San Francisco just to view the murals and I absolutely love the art. Most of it is bold, some may call it excentric but art is art.
When I watched the documentary, "A Brush with the Tenderloin" I saw this meek artist who seemed to me as soft-spoken, in the Tenderloin district in San Francisco. I'm thinking, "Okay, a quiet artist in the middle of the devil's snare, what is going to happen?" But I saw that she had a story to tell and her story was in her art.
The Tenderloin district also had stories to tell of death, murder and violence, but Mona concentrated on the beauty of the Tenderloin and put very worthy people in her art, the kind of people you see every day and might seem average to you but also had a story to share like the homeless rocker Indian Joe and his quest and the recovering heroine addict.
In conclusion, Dictionary.com defines art as,
" 1. the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance."
Art is whatever you make it. Whatever you find is beautiful to you. And the media can depict art as ugly or beautiful but they can not say that it isn't art. Art is a piece of the person who created it and every person is art and beautiful in their own way so who is to say that what makes you, you is not art at all?
Wanda Sabir
Juan Sanabria
English 1B
Today in class we watched a film on the tenderloin district. It was based off of an artist who did a mural based on the city and its people. What I liked about the movie was that she put her heart and soul in the art work and made it enjoyable for the public. One thing about murals I enjoy is that it’s made for you by you, meaning it’s personal. Murals tell a story, about the city and its surroundings.
Murals are different from the common “tag” you may see on typical walls. Its actual art that people use to tell a story of a place they have in mind or to express their inner personal ideas. She did a fantastic job on adding a little bit of touch with the people who happen to be around at the time while she was painting the mural. One other thing I did not like about the movie is the tagging which occurred on the painting that said “fuck.” To me that was very immature and disrespectful to the artist who worked hard on the painting it.
The cops are a part of the city, even though people may not agree with some of their actions of how they “abuse” their power; however, they should be on the mural. As she said, some people are telling her not to put a squad car on her vehicle, but she should able to do so if the mural reflects the city itself. A few other things I noticed is the citizens of SF where enjoying the mural as it was coming together, and crediting the artist. It brought a touch of joy to the community to know that somebody else actually cares enough, to do something for the community.
Anonmous said
Sara Nazeer
13th Feburuy 2012
Prof.Sabir
English 1B
I go to San Francisco often, but honestly I have never paid that much attention to the murals. After watching this video I have realized that these murals are based on real life. The artist Mona Caron has done a great job representing Tenderloin because she put real life into her art by drawing people that she saw on the streets of Tenderlion and putting colors into them.
Furthermore, In the documentry a guy also mentions that artist Mona Caron has put reality into her murals because she draws exactly what she sees and this is what attracted me the most. He also mentions that the artist Mona Caron doesn't make the resident at Tenderlion feel as if they live a area where there has been lots of crime scenes. I felt as if Mona Caron's work showed diversity among the people of Tenderlion.
Moreover, I feel that art is an abstract piece of work and it can be done by anyone and with any kind of props but Mona Caron's murals not only are preety they also give a message to the community. The message of love, care hope for the Tenderlion resident, and a great lesson for people that have stereotypes about Tenderlion.
Anonmous said
Sara Nazeer
13th Feburuy 2012
Prof.Sabir
English 1B
I go to San Francisco often, but honestly I have never paid that much attention to the murals. After watching this video I have realized that these murals are based on real life. The artist Mona Caron has done a great job representing Tenderloin because she put real life into her art by drawing people that she saw on the streets of Tenderlion and putting colors into them.
Furthermore, In the documentry a guy also mentions that artist Mona Caron has put reality into her murals because she draws exactly what she sees and this is what attracted me the most. He also mentions that the artist Mona Caron doesn't make the resident at Tenderlion feel as if they live a area where there has been lots of crime scenes. I felt as if Mona Caron's work showed diversity among the people of Tenderlion.
Moreover, I feel that art is an abstract piece of work and it can be done by anyone and with any kind of props but Mona Caron's murals not only are preety they also give a message to the community. The message of love, care hope for the Tenderlion resident, and a great lesson for people that have stereotypes about Tenderlion.
Giao Bui
English 1B
Professor Sabir
13 February 2012
A Brush with the Tenderloin is a documentary about Mona Caron and her experience with painting a mural in the Tenderloin district in San Francisco. Prior to watching the film, I have heard about the neighborhood but never dared to go there because people tend to only have negative things to say. This film gave a different perspective on the Tenderloin and also the people who live there. Caron not only painted the actual people who live there, but also painted a hopeful future of what the district could be. A mural is the perfect medium for expressing the story of the Tenderloin.
Caron’s mural is a different kind of narrative. She first paints how the Tenderloin used to be, as it was not always a poverty stricken neighborhood. From there, she paints the present. Although the neighborhood is currently poor and has high crime rates, she does not paint the neighborhood as a terrible place. Caron paints the present Tenderloin with an objective eye, showing the amazing people who dwell. Finally from looking at how the district was in the past, she was able to imagine a wonderful future the place could have. It is a special kind of narrative, because pictures can express many things words cannot express.
The mural symbolizes hope, making a place that is generally considered “ugly” look beautiful. Caron expresses the story of each of the people she sees, treating them as human beings rather than as poor and homeless nobodies. I think that the mural has an equalizing factor as well. A mural is something that is shared with everyone, disregarding social and economic status. It is especially wonderful that the mural is in the Tenderloin where most residents do not have a lot of money.
Mriam Assana
13 February 2012
Prof. Sabir
English 1
A Brush with the Tenderloin
In the class we watched 'A Brush with the Tenderloin' .It follows the transformation of one dicey street corner in San Francisco's notorious Tenderloin district, as acclaimed muralist Mona Caron paints a rich visual story about the neighborhood's past, present and potential future. Through the course of the film we get up-close and personal with a diverse collection of locals as they interact directly with Caron and end up playing key roles in the mural's evolution. Among the characters, we meet homeless rocker 'Indian Joe,' who is on a quest to meet Alice Cooper, along with former heroin addict Lisa Demb and neighborhood kite-maker Jeff Marshall.
I loved this movie. It inspired me to check out St. Anthony's online and see what I might be able to do to help the people in the Tenderloin. Here's something that caught my eye.
Some of the most heart-warming moments were when Mona started to paint the people of the Tenderloin community, such as Indian Joe, into the mural. I could sense incredible pride instilled in the locals when they saw themselves in the beautiful mural, a feeling of belonging and acknowledgement.
From this film, yes, I believe that the art helps to draw any kind of story through the pictures and explain it to others .Also it helps the others conceptualize realities like poverty, war, homeless alienation.
Sherrlyne Apostol
Professor Sabir
English 1B
13 February 2012
Until very recently, I had not been exposed to visual arts in a way that inspired much care or concern. However, I am currently taking a painting class which has shed new light in this area. Watching the short film “A Brush with the Tenderloin”, I felt a new found appreciation for the arts. I was drawn not only to the visual ascetics of the work but the process and storytelling as well.
Ones imagination may be constrained by personal biases. Using imagery from ones imagination to depict certain realities can only be communicated so much. I believe Mona Caron used actual people and physically identifiable landmarks of the community to overcome these barriers. She painted the neighborhood and its daily activities. In this case, Caron used a painting to communicate the beauty of the under appreciated and often overlooked, the Tenderloin. She realistically renders characters from real life into the art. This wasn’t simply art for the sake of being “art” but art that had bits and pieces of everyone who contributed in the community. There is a larger amount of appreciation towards the mural because they seen themselves apart of its beauty.
I found her art inspiring the way she portrayed such beauty in harsh realities. In comparison to the way authors tell stories using a book, visual arts often transcend our literary capacities to comprehend them. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.
Billy Russell
13 February 2012
Professor Sabir
English 1B
I have always kind of wondered if the people in murals are actually based on real people. Its good to know that at least in some murals the people are based on reality. In the film, "A Brush with the Tenderloin", Mona Caron paints a mural in San Francisco's Tenderloin district. The Tenderloin has become a rough neighborhood over the years, but that doesn't stop Mona from painting an incredible mural on one of the street corners.
The mural tells a story of what life used to be like and what life is like now in the Tenderloin. It wasn't always such a bad place, and Mona paints what it used to look like in one part of her mural. On another part of the mural, Mona portrays what life is like now, but in a positive light. In her mural she paints many of the colorful characters she meets on the street while working on her mural. My personal favorite was the homeless guy whose mission in life was to meet Alice Cooper.
Art is an amazing thing, and I believe the old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words. The meaning of her mural was to show that even a neighborhood as gritty as the Tenderloin has a lot of character, diversity, and potential to be a great place in the future. I believe a mural is so effective, because it can make hazy ideas such as homelessness and alienation appear clear as day. Simply staring at her mural, a person could learn more about the Tenderloin in a few minutes than a person researching the district could learn in an entire essay.
Maribel Arrizon
13 February 2012
Professor Sabir
English 1B
Today we watched A Brush with the Tenderloin where a muralist, Mona Caron, is asked to paint a hidden view of San Francisco, the Tenderloin district. Throughout the documentary, Mona Caron introduces us to some of the most diverse people inhabiting the Tenderloin. Those people who contribute to the districts vibrant and shining neighborhood ended up represented in the mural.
Art us used to express and tell a story, Mona Caron tells the story of a neighborhood and what it has to offer. The tenderloin district is rendered by a lot of people as the most dangerous part of San Francisco, that may be true but Mona Caron focuses on something past the danger. She brings out in the mural the kindness of the people there.
Every person is different and sees the world in a different light. Mona Caron noticed the good people in the Tenderloins and with her brush strokes she painted a picture that focused on that. She drew what she saw and that is the only thing that a viewer of the portrait can see, she may be inadequate to paint all the violence but that wasn’t the point when she decided to paint the mural. Her point was that everyone who saw the mural realized that there are good people in the Tenderloin district.
Vanessa Dilworth
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8-8:50
25 February 2012
A Brush with the Tenderloin
In the documentary, A Brush with the Tenderloin, world renowned artist Mona Caron painted a realist mural of the Tenderlion in San Francisco depicting the surroundings and daily life in that area. The street in which she did the mural was housed in the poorest neighborhoods in San Francisco. She did not believe that the residents would be interested in art when most did not have their basic necessities met. The purpose of the painting was to bring something positive to the area.
I personally liked how Mona included many people in the area in her work. She also took her art to another level when she depicted how the Tenderlion was and how it could be side-by-side. To include the region in its actual reality in comparing it to green grass, clean streets, smiling people, and an overall better community, to me, gave the community the ability to see it in a different light, a hopeful light.
I feel that nothing can constitute for reality, no film or artwork, but to do so preserves a time, place, or person. Mona told a story through her artwork of the daily life in the poverty ridden Tenderlion District. Her narrative was that of an outsider looking in. I feel that art place a very important part in depicting certain realities and can conceptualize inconceivable realties and invoke emotions from their audience, just as reality can. I feel that through this artwork she brought awareness to the Tenderlion in a way that only art could, and through this maybe it will begin to take shape and become “another way.”
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