Coat hangers...I like them, you?

Sally Brown, sister of Charlie Brown, a Peanuts character, questions her artistic abilities. What may seem a jumble a of coat hangers could in reality serve as a beautiful masterpiece in the eyes of another.

I love the arts amongst all my other courses. A passion resides within me for acting, visual art, and, to a smaller degree, music. Sometimes I wonder, however, to what level the arts are subjective.

Acting proves rather difficult to determine quality. The confidence one must bear, the poise, the delivery (relative to speed), breathing, the sheer hard toil of memorizing your piece, and the sound of the very words that escape your lips. But to what degree? To what level of confidence must one possess to not blend into the murky waters of arrogance?

Visual Art marks further difficulty. The analysis of one's composition involves balance, unity, contrast, and simply personal taste, leading to many groans from students. While working devotedly on the current hands-on assignment, I can incessantly hear from my Visual Art peers in the background, "I HATE Mondrian."

To me, I don't hate Mondrian. I appreciate his work really and truly. After working on this project, I can hardly believe the immense foresight a man possessed to define such restrictions to himself. I look at my diamond-shaped canvas, and although a layman would consider it rather similar to Mondrian's creations, it is similar yet different: the juxtaposition of beauty.

Animation captures this struggle in a rather vivid manner. With Neha Sabharwal's (12) spectacular portrayal of Sally Brown in the Student Directed Showcase held in January, these words come alive. Do not shudder this seemingly massive paragraph. It is embedded with the thoughts I myself fail to express with the words of my blog.

Sally: A 'C'? A 'C'? I got a 'C' on my coathanger sculpture? How could anyone get a 'C' in coathanger sculpture? May I ask a question? Was I judged on the piece of sculpture itself? If so, is it not true that time alone can judge a work of art? Or was I judged on my talent? If so, is it fair that I be judged on a part of my life over which I have no control? If I was judged on my effort, then I was judged unfairly, for I tried as hard as I could! Was I judged on what I had learned about this project? If so, then were not you, my teacher, also being judged on your ability to transmit your knowledge to me? Are you willing to share my 'C'? Perhaps I was being judged on the quality of coathanger itself out of which my creation was made...now is this not also unfair? Am I to be judged by the quality of coathangers that are used by the drycleaning establishment that returns our garments? Is that not the responsibility of my parents? Should they not share my 'C'? (SFX: the teachers voice is heard offstage [brief unintelligible squawk voice mixed with electronic static)) Thank you, Miss Othmar. (to audience) The squeaky wheel gets the grease! (exits)

Photo Credit: http://www.tomah.k12.wi.us/schools/ths/musical/Sally_Brown.gif