3/28/08 - First Building Session

After visiting Materials for the Arts to get as many possible construction materials as possible for this project, I ran to the Queens museum.

Laura, the educator at the QMA, very nicely organized and called up the teens (High school students who are participating in an after-school program there), so 7 students showed up today. Normally they have sessions on Wednesday after school. I appreciate Laura's quick coordination.

Thanks a lot Laura!

Although it was very short notice, they very nicely came and had an active discussion.

One of the very interesting points in their observations of the drawings were: they did not feel that drawings were so much about the religions. Rather it was about the culture, as though we looked at some sort of traveling guide. Temple-like buildings and people wearing turbans and particular clothing... The teens asked, "Was it Hinduism or Islam that this drawing came from?" as they pointed out the temple image and person wearing a turban.

In my mind, though, I felt that it had something to do with the young children's level of religous enlightenment. Even if they have been in the religion, that does not mean that when they express themselves regarding religion, that it will be about the spirituality and other such adult concepts. Not only does their level of drawing ability limit them, but also their level of experience of their religion might also affect the drawings.

By the way, Drawings at Jewish temple, one boy drew large Jacob's star and in the center he drew Mt. Masada based on his recent experience of trip to Israel.
He kept talking about food chain stores previously and mentioned the mountain, but maybe that was something for him. He was much older around 12. I am sure it defiantly reflects on their experience, but probably subtle. Without knowing the drawing process, we never know why Mt. Masada and what the brown color in the center of the star is for High School students. This is the interesting element, though.

Also, the High School students have gained a notion of what each religion is through their schooling and experience. So, they know what they are "supposed" to do for the building. But when they look for such resources from the drawings and cannot easily see them, they are confused. I just realized I have to explain we are not exactly building their replica of the temple.
They are building image of the temple based on the drawings.

That temple (Sikhism) particularly does not have so much items that could be great icon for the religion at the pray room. That might also be affected to the drawings.

Then, one of students strongly addressed concern:

"I do not want to build a religious organization's pavilion without fully knowing the religion, because I do not want people from the religion to get offended by our pavilion mis-representing them."

That reminds me of the words from the instructor at the Jewish temple's youth program. She told the kids to draw something that represents their religion well. She meant to encourage the children, but it is a bit different from the concept of the project.

Well, I like to let children and young students express what they see, feel and think. So, I tried to protect the children at religious organizations, encouraging them to do just what they wanted as a drawing. One boy even started drawing the world trade center and another girl complained to him about it since she thought that it had nothing to do with their religion. I smiled and let him do what he wanted.

I still feel that that must have something to do with his own expression, whether or not he truly got what the goal of the project is. Am I afraid such drawings lead in different directions, away from my own original idea? I do not think so. It takes time to find out what exactly it may means, but I still have faith that they all have some meaning, even beyond the level of consciousness.

Anyhow, back to teens, they were not sure if they were fine with continuing before further research. They thought they should go visit the religious leaders or at least go research it on the Internet....




After coming back to home and relaxing (now), I got some directions.

My filmmaker Rishi, actually gave me wonderful input right after the session.

He told me that in US High Schools, there are many many assignments, and each most likely has specific guidelines. Also, the teens are very smart and can see some worst case scenario before it happens so they want to address the potential issues beforehand....or something like that.

I thought that their point about the drawings perhaps addressing not so much religion as culture was very good. But, therefore they "cannot" build the pavilions because they worry that they get it wrong? I thought that, itself, is wrong.

Children at the religious organizations expressed their religion in their own way. That is not misrepresenting their religion. That is what the religious experience is for them. Then, I would just like the teens to explore via their own imagination from the childrens' drawings. It is not misrepresenting the religion, and should not offend others: it is simply based on the childrens' drawings.

Then, most importantly, they will be going back to religious sites and talking to the kids, and hopefully the religious leaders as well. That point becomes more critical. That part of the project is not just based on your own concept of the religion, but is trying to represent the religion. Teens can find out about such unclear parts of the childrens' drawings by themselves from the "real" first-hand resource.

They can even have the opportunity to talk about it in their version of the pavilion, in front of the kids' drawings.

This final step finally completes the project and process. It will never offend viewers since they will not be given the chance to experience the pavilions without an explanation that they were based off of the childrens' drawings (which will be on display), but that the teens later learned that x, y, and z were true of this religion. Thus the teens are not purposefully doing anything misleading or making fun of the religion.

Rish said, "The next few coming sessions for building together with the teens will require some patience from both you and them, but we need it."

That is true about most art-making processes as well. You never know what's going to be completed until you are finishing up. Yes, you can imagine how it might turn out, but it will never ever be the same as you had imagined.

(Well, I am not that far along in my career as an artist, though, and can't claim to have a ton of experience to draw from...In fact, I was totally focusing on the discussion with the High School
teens and forgot to take some pictures! No pictures today.)