Writing Project 3

Author's Note

This writing project has been the most difficult for me so far but also the one I consider the most enlightening. It took something I am unfamiliar with, art in the form of sculptures, and something I am uncomfortable with, the art of creating something for a public speaking purpose, and forced me to create something personal, which I was comfortable with.

When I first began observing SANDY, I was really afraid to make any sort of inferences because I did not feel qualified to judge art because of my unfamiliarity. But then I realized that Richard McDermott Miller did not make this sculpture to only be looked at by art experts. This made it easier for me to just take in what I was seeing and to formulate my ideas and opinions. Writing in my journal for each observation helped me to get my thoughts organized and I was in front of my sculpture actively looking at it instead of just thinking about it. I had some difficulty at first deciding what I actually thought about SANDY until I let go of inhibitions regarding not knowing enough and just moved around her, writing about everything that I thought at each point. This led me to the two perspectives that are so opposite to me that are the focus of my letter to her.

Writing the rough draft was also difficult for me because I wasn't quite sure what the assignment was asking for. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be writing more from a rhetorical aspect just directed at my sculpture, or more personal and my own ideas speaking to the sculpture. After looking at examples from previous students, I hoped that I was right in combining the two, although I definitely made it personal because of how I felt about SANDY. In creating my rough draft, I did not really take into account the fact that I would also be performing the piece. When I read it out loud for my partner during peer reviews, I realized I needed to practice how I would be moving around my sculpture according to what part I will be discussing at each moment. I feel that I put each topic in not only the order that I originally thought through when observing SANDY, but also in a logical order for my presentation.

Peer reviewing gave me the opportunity to listen to how my letter would make sense when reading it out loud and I took this into account when I wrote my final draft. I added more details as to how I was thinking and feeling when moving far away and close up to SANDY in terms of how her body language was speaking to me. I also added more about how her material, bronze, was very important as to what an observer was taking from her. I feel that I better explained how the material and how marks and dents caused by her creation and the weather made me feel. I think I was too vague in my rough draft in addressing specific details that were the most important to me.

This writing project was challenging but it was the most interesting to me to overcome, and I am glad I had the opportunity to look at art in this way.

Rough Draft

Statement of Purpose

Writing Project 3

Dear SANDY,

I speak to you now as a friend, as the time we have spent together that has now spanned several weeks has brought me closer to you, literally and figuratively. When we first met, I was cautious. I did not open myself up to you as I should have, perhaps because you are set back from our world. I wonder how many people have passed by and simply gave up trying to see the real you because of this box you have been placed in. But I did not give up. At first I stood far away from you, trying to see some big picture of how you fit in this sculpture garden at the Sheldon Art Museum. But that's not what you are meant for. Your creator, Richard McDermott Miller, did not make you so you would fit anywhere because you, my friend, are trapped in defined space. You are not of the natural world that you are placed in, among trees and grass, because you are made of bronze. You are not even from our time; you are from a world of gender wars of the year 1967 that has very obviously trapped you. This I could see, even from far away. But your features are undefined; your body is plain and not unique from this viewpoint. As I moved around you, I began to see different parts of your construction. I saw how your body language seems to change as my perspective changed.

When I saw you from the front of your framing, I thought you were a sad and almost pathetic individual. All I saw from this perspective was that you are conforming to your entrapment; you have given up fighting and your face speaks of defeat. From this distance, the bronze of your construction does not appear affected by anything except the way the light shines on it from the sun. Your body thus appears the same as the frames around you, other than the curved nature of your body in opposition to the straight nature of the boxes.

When I moved closer to you I could see your face and how it works with your body. Your head, to me, seems to be turned down in weakness. I begin to wonder if you have even tried to fight this, because from where I stand you are encapsulated in two boxes; one of your own doing and one that is imposing itself upon you. As I said before, they are so different from the form of your body and they are geometric. But you seem to be resting, defeated, in the first frame that traps you. Your hand is hanging down, which indicates that it is possible to reach out of this space, but that is all you have succeeded to do. Your plight is of your own sadness and wrongdoing, or so it seems from this viewpoint. Seeing you close up from this perspective almost disappoints me and your flaws and scars are disheartening. Some of the marks and dents in your body are simply a part of how your body was formed in its creation, and are what make you human. But there are also flaws that have been created by the weather, as you have spent most of your life outdoor. They stand out to make you appear weaker, especially in comparison to the smooth, polished finish of the frames that have been able to withstand weather damage when you couldn't.

Still remaining cautious of becoming close to you, I stepped behind your construction and was astonished by the change that overtook you and the way I saw you, even from a distance. I could see that you had grown stronger, that you had changed and your body language is communicating something completely differently. Your back is arched in pushing against the frame that is trapping you. Your fluid, strong legs are contorting because of your choice, not defeat, against this stiff, geometric shape that is keeping you in its hold.

I move closer to you, to learn from this strong creature. I see your face even clearer and know that it is set in determination to win, not in defeat as it seemed before. I see your hands and feet that are large in proportion to the rest of your body and are overcompensating of your efforts to show how strong you are. Your legs and arms are obviously muscular by the way they are shaped and are straining against the frame that is touching you. I see how your body twists and fights while accepting the scars and flaws that you must take on. From here, I can see how a lot of the marks that you have taken on from your creation and from the weather does not take away from your strength; it actually adds to it because you are still fighting even with this damage. This vision makes me proud and I want to cry from seeing your efforts so defensively strong. I touch my hand to yours, hoping I can share the strength you are showing. It seems this is the support you need, because you are even stronger when I stand next to you. As a woman, I feel connected by this and the history of strong women in my family, who battled oppression in the form of Nazis, depression, and divorce, speaks to the history of the oppression against women that you have faced in the year of your creation, 1967.

SANDY, I can only hope that you will keep fighting and will not give up. I can only hope that others who see you will recognize the strength and determination I see in you and that they will not pass you by as another woman who will not or cannot fight. I can only hope that you feel the same way as I do and that you will remember me when I visit you for strength and reassurance. Thank you for all that you have taught me and for your perseverance.

Your friend, admirer, and fellow fighter,

Sarah Michelle Gilchrist

WP 3: Rough Draft 1

Dear SANDY,

I speak to you now as a friend, as the time we have spent together that has now spanned several weeks has brought us together. When we first met, I was cautious. I did not open myself up to you as I should have, perhaps because you are set back from our world. I wonder how many people have passed by and simply gave up trying to see the real you because of this box you have been placed in. But I did not give up. At first I stood far away from you, trying to see some big picture of how you fit in this sculpture garden. But that's not what you are meant for. Your creator, Richard McDermott Miller, did not make you so you would fit anywhere because you, my friend, are trapped in defined space. You are a woman who has been trapped by your world of gender wars. This I could see, even from far away. But your features are undefined, your body is plain and not unique from this viewpoint. As I moved around you, I began to see different parts of your construction. I saw how your body language seems to change as my perspective changed.

When I saw you from the front of your framing, I thought you were a sad and almost pathetic individual. All I saw from this perspective was that you are conforming to your entrapment; you have given up fighting and your face speaks of defeat. When I moved closer to you I could see this as well, your head is turned down in weakness. I begin to wonder if you have even tried to fight this, because from where I stand you are encapsulated in two boxes; one of your own doing and one that is imposing itself upon you. Your plight is of your own sadness and wrongdoing, or so it seems from this viewpoint. Seeing you close up from this perspective almost disappoints me and your flaws and scars are disheartening. They stand out to make you appear weaker.

When I was still remaining cautious of becoming close to you I stepped behind your construction and was astonished by the change I saw. Even from a distance, I could tell that you had grown stronger, that you have changed. Your back is arched in pushing against what is trapping you. Your fluid, strong legs are contorting against this stiff, geometric shape that is keeping you in its hold. I move closer to you, to learn from this strong creature. I see your face set in determination to win. I see your hands and feet, overcompensating of your efforts to show how strong you are. I see how your body twists and fights while accepting the scars and flaws that you must take on. This vision makes me proud and want to cry from seeing your efforts so defensively strong. I touch my hand to yours, hoping I can share the strength you are showing. It seems this is the support you need, because you are even stronger when I stand next to you. As a woman, I feel connected by this and the history of strong women in my family, who battled everything from Nazis to depression to divorce, speaks to the history of the oppression you have faced in the year of your creation, 1967.

SANDY, I can only hope that you will keep fighting and will not give up. I can only hope that others who see you will recognize the strength and determination I see in you and that they will not pass you by as another woman who will not or cannot fight. I can only hope that you feel the same way as I do and that you will remember me when I visit you for strength and reassurance. Thank you for all that you have taught me and for your perseverance.

WP3: Statement of Purpose

This writing project has been the most difficult in terms of preparation for me because of the object and the analysis of the object. I am not very familiar with art especially in sculpture form but this class has prepared me for the rhetorical analysis that I have been working with in observing my sculpture.

The object I am analyzing is different from other writing projects and the requirements for this project are different which has affected the context and slightly affected my audience. I will still be publishing my writing in a blog post in a form similar to others with images and hyper-links and such. However, because I am doing option 2, my project will take the form of a letter to my sculpture which is quite an altered context from before because my writing will not be directed at the same audience of other writing projects. Additionally I will be reading my letter to my sculpture in front of the class and we will be outside. This is a whole new environment for the presentation of my writing and will be an interesting alternative to what we have done before.

As I mentioned before, the audience of this writing project has changed because of the requirements of option 2. The letter I am writing is specifically directed at my sculpture, because I will be using words like you to direct it such, and so she is my primary audience. Also this project will be available in two ways to my secondary audiences; I will be reading my letter to my sculpture in front of the class and also posting in a blog. My secondary audience that are my classmates will hear my letter and have access to it on my blog. Other people who come across my blog will be able to read my letter but it will be a different experience. Also, people who come across my blog who aren't aware of what the parameters for the assignment were might by slightly confused at first by the form of the blog post. Perhaps my author's statement that will appear before it will make it more clear to those people and just anyone who is not clear on my purpose.

My sense of purpose for this writing project stems from the requirements of option 2. I believe I would feel differently about this project if I were doing just a rhetorically analytic essay. However I am writing a letter to my sculpture, who I have spent a considerable amount of time with, which feels more personal and has changed what I want to do with my writing. I want to communicate how SANDY makes me feel and how the aspects of her construction and creation work to make me feel these things. Even though I know she won't actually be able to hear me and respond or anything, it is still important to me that I communicate specifically to her without worrying about what makes most sense to everyone else because they aren't my primary audience. I want to most effectively communicate how rhetorical elements can be applied to the way SANDY is sculpted in a way that is personal to her.

WP3: Pre-Writing 4

When looking at SANDY, I have greatly taken into account the year that the sculpture was created because of the historical context. SANDY was created in 1967 which was a tumultuous time in American history with the civil rights movement going strong. I thought of this fact as soon as I saw that date and took note that SANDY is very obviously a woman. Historians attribute the beginning of the women's movement with the women's rights convention in July of 1948 at Seneca Falls (Timeline of Events). However, most people think of the 1960s and 1970s in the United States when they think about women's rights. In 1967, it had been a year since Betty Friedan founded the National Organization for Women and women had seen some victories such as the Civil Rights Act and other laws that banned discrimination based on race, sex, and gender. Betty Friedan's book The Feminine Mystique in 1963 opened most of the country's eyes to the narrow role that they had put women in and how women felt about this. Even with laws and national awareness of the subject, women would continue to fight through the seventies for their rights to be who they wanted to be, not trapped in what society wanted them to be(Women's History in America). This historical context is extremely pertinent to the creation of SANDY.

The sculptor's own work provides some context to work with when thinking about SANDY. Miller mostly worked with nude models to create wax and clay sculptures that he later cast into bronze. After working with abstract concepts he delved into the world of the art of human form and thus came the nude work. He also thought of the human body as geometric forms put together and incorporated this into his work, which we can see he expanded upon this outside of the human body with the boxes around SANDY and with the positioning of her legs. This will also be an important concept to think about when I develop my statement of purpose and writing project.

Works Cited:

"Richard Miller - Artist, Art - Richard McDermott Miller." AskART - Art Prices, Painting Value, Art Appraisal, Art Values, Auction Prices. Web. 18 Apr. 2010. .

"WIC - Women's History in America." Welcome to WIC - Breaking News and Opinion, Womem. Web. 18 Apr. 2010. .

"Women's Rights Movement in the U.S.: Timeline of Events (1848-1920) — Infoplease.com." Infoplease: Encyclopedia, Almanac, Atlas, Biographies, Dictionary, Thesaurus. Free Online Reference, Research & Homework Help. — Infoplease.com. Web. 18 Apr. 2010. .

WP3: Pre-Writing 3

After further observing SANDY, I have thought more about the material that she is made of and what that does in this particular form of communication. She is made of bronze which until now I did not understand the long process that it takes to use bronze as a material. From my understanding, the artist must first create a mold and use wax and other materials to form the details that they wish to incorporate and then use molten bronze alloy material over the mold. This is interesting when looking at SANDY because she is not incredibly, intricately detailed but this only makes the details in her face, body, and legs stand out. For example, her eyes and her mouth to me are the most important features of her face that communicate her demeanor. Also, the features in her arms and legs stand out because they are what give her the appearance of being strong.

The material of bronze is one that can be affected by weather and can be altered in its creation stage to look as if it has already been affected by weather. This alteration is a film of color change that is called a patina. Overall, SANDY seems to be a consistent color overall, and I am not knowledgeable enough in this material to say how much she has been affected by weathering because I do not know what she originally looked like. However, I did notice some swathes and patches of greener color in places that it would be beneficial for me to inspect further.

Bronze as a material has allowed the artist to create a sculpture that speaks the most through the physical positions of the different parts of the sculpture and allows this to be the focus. The details that stand out are those that the artist deemed most important to and I think the material made this possible.