Studio 1: Printmaking as a Social Force

The Studio 1 class continued their study of printmaking. After looking at examples from the Taller de Grafica Popular, Honore Daumier, and Justseeds Artists' Cooperative, the students created linocuts on a social, political, or environmental issue of their choice.

Taking the project one step further, the students scanned their prints and created posters inspired by the work of Luba Lukova.

The original prints and the digital posters are shown below, along with the students' artist's statements. Enjoy!

Mansi K, Grade 11

Chained by Birth!

Prostitution, Religion, Rape, Future, Deserve, Life, Sister, Precious, Equal, Oppression, Sacred, Birth, Assault, Sex, World, Body, Rights, Integrity, Culture, Strong, Wise, Gender, Powerful, Daughter, Beautiful, Bold, Nurturing, Liberal, Mother, Chained, Encouraging, Compassionate, Love. These are just few of the many words associated with WOMEN. But Wait! And think about each one of our connections with WOMEN. She plays an extremely important and unique role in all our lives, yet we don’t hesitate to tie her in our expectations since the very moment she starts to breathe. She is grievously ‘Chained by Birth’.

Ein J, Grade 11

Pricks of needles.

Much like stinging nettles.

Blazing beams.

Not what you want in your dreams.

Snaps of scissors.

Much more scary than razors.

Suffocating cages.

Not something that doesn’t enrages.

Sticky chemical.

Not so comical.

No,

Not really.

 Anjuri K, Grade 11

Child labor is a very serious problem in every country. Sadly, India is the home to the largest number of child laborers in the world. In many urban areas, a growing phenomenon is using children as domestic workers. The condition in which children work is completely unregulated and unhygienic. They are often told to work without food and very low wages. It is almost like slavery. There are cases of physical, sexual and emotional abuse of child domestic workers. Children have no power to go against the adults.

The poster shows how children are trapped in a jail of non-freedom. The child in the poster is wearing a solider costume because child labor and child solider are the same problem in the world. In addition, by showing a solider costume in the poster, audience will know how children have no freedom but just to obey the master. While any other children study, play around with their friend, and receive comfort from their parents, so many children are being abused, controlled, and even get killed by the adults. The factory, piles of dishes and the building in the poster are there to show that children are trapped in a jail to work on those as they are told to do. The black circular weight at the corner of the poster is representing an adult holding on to a child so that he would not run away. In addition, it looks like the child in the poster is playing with the factories and dishes because in reality most of the children do not understand the situation they are in. Therefore the text does not say, “I need a freedom” but “Children need freedom.”  I strongly believe that child labor should be vanished from the society.

Yerang L, Grade 11

Suicide has been always a sensitive subject to talk about. I carefully considered how to express this solemn subject strongly without being so direct and serious. I looked around our daily life and focused on one game we play habitually. We call it ‘Hangman’. The image of a dead stick figure is simple, yet effective. I wanted to tell that death cannot be a solution to everyone who thinks about taking one’s own life through this one hangman game.

Pia T, Grade 11

My piece is on domestic violence. I chose this topic because it is very important to me. Women, not only in India, but all over the world are facing domestic violence. They are burned, kicked, and beaten, raped, slapped and often even killed. All these actions are performed by men for different reasons. To show their manliness, to make the women feel inferior or to show that they will always be the stronger and dominant sex. However, real men would never behave like this. Only cowards or men who are afraid of the women would do something like this to put down the women and remain in control.  I wanted to make this piece to make people aware about domestic violence. To show them how thousands of women face this every day.

Amber K, Grade 11

It is a judgmental world that we live in today, full or comments and mean remarks. It is hard to be accepted into today’s society without being mocked or called nasty names. If one is not like everyone else, if they are not so called ‘Normal’ then they do not belong. However this is untrue, just because one is a little shorter, has different beliefs or loves the same gender does not make one an outcast.  The people of today’s society must change their mindset and be open to everyone and anyone, no matter how ‘Different’ they are.

People must realize that to love someone who is of the same gender is not a crime, it is very much natural for love has no gender. In some places it is fortunately legal, however in other not so fortunate circumstances it is looked down upon. Everyone should have the right to love whomever so they choose to. Why should it be upon the government whom one wishes to spend the rest of their life with? Therefore it is important to raise awareness about ‘LGBT Rights’ because it is something that not many people are aware of. If more people are educated on this topic and realize that being a part of the LGBT category is not wrong then more people will become accepting towards these oppressed people. Love should be fair, it should be equal for all and everyone should be able to choose who they love and not be forced into it. It is high time that the people of today’s world put aside their narrow minded thinking and open up to the new and improved world.  We should be able to live in a world in which ‘LGBT Rights’ are acceptable everywhere and anywhere, a world in which love has no boundaries.

Nina KM, Grade 11

Jonathan K, Grade 11

Suicide among teens is really common nowadays. Suicide is the third-leading cause of death for 15- to 24-year-olds. It is also said that at least 25 attempts are made for every completed suicide. Nearly 60% of all suicides in the US are committed with a gun and this is because a lot of people there have easy access to firearms. There are various factors that go into teens suicidal thoughts. Some of them are a psychological disorder like depression, feelings of distress, irritability or hopelessness. It could be emotional, physical or sexual abuse. The lack of a support network and feelings of social isolation etc etc.  Thus what I wanted to portray in my artwork was the feelings that go on inside their minds. Hence I drew a guy with a gun pointed to his head, and his head being the globe. As sometimes all of us feel that the world is getting at us and all we want to do is get away from it. But it doesn’t always have to end that way. Seek and you will find, there is always someone out there who really cares for you and will help you get through whatever it is that you are going through. Peace and Love - Jono

 

Tushen N, Grade 11

My print/poster conveys the message of women rights. It shows three faces of three men on one side and a crying woman on the other side. In between them, there are several hands. This overall indicates a rape scenario, presenting that how women are still not respected in this world and misbehaved with. My aim to emotionally effect people so that they understand the scenario and try their best to protect any women they can.

Subin K, Grade 11

Mirror Mirror on the wall

who’s the fairest of them all?

I force myself to ensure

that it’s just me being insecure

That I’m the one unable to see

the blossoming splendor inside of me

But when they look or give a gaze

I slowly crumble and decay

Each word they said

felt poison fed

I was being chased

I was disgraced

Let there be knives

and risking of lives

I’ll rip my eyes

even say goodbyes

So, dear mirror mirror on the wall,

please say that I am the fairest of them all!

Navika S, Grade 11

You won’t tell a flower
That it is too oddly shaped to be beautiful
To be given to someone you love
You won’t tell the ocean
That its waves are too curvy to
Kiss the shoreline
And you won’t tell the moon
That it is too round to illuminate
Even the darkest of nights
So why would you tell someone
That they are too big
To be beautiful? 

-          n.d.

Jesal P, Grade 11

 Fayza I, Grade 12

The idea of having religious tolerance is something that I have wished for a long time alongside the idea of tolerance amongst the different countries: Pakistan and India. The recent events of the Line of Control (LOC) causing the death of two Indian soldiers shows the intolerance of the different religions. This art piece shows the 'Allah' from Islam, and the Om from Hinduism. The intertwining of the two is to show that there are some differences in the two religions, but we can work it out if we try to stop the unnecessary killing of soldiers and innocent people over the matter of religion and territorial areas.

 Nivedita D, Grade 11

Women all over the world are oppressed in one way or another, be it within the house, or outside. It has always been a challenge for them to keep up with the men in this society. I came up with this idea because I want women to rise and throw away the veil of society. Women all over the world need to help nurture one another and take a stand for themselves. They have to know, they're not alone.