Synthetic Evaluation

Synthetic Evaluation

Even though this semester has seemed almost tediously long, there have been many stories that I have gleaned through my classes. I have gleaned the story of Don Quixote in its entirety, the story of Abraham through the eyes of Kierkegaard, and the story of Spanish grammar... whatever that story happens to be of. But one of the more interesting stories (aside from Don Quixote which, I must add, is a fascinating read) is the story that I have learned through this class. I have learned many factual things throughout this semester, but Women, Art and Culture has taught me a different perspective on life; that's something I can't learn through reading a book. Above all, I believe the story of this class is questioning perception and definition of art and feminism.

From the first day of classes, Katie King stressed that this class was not going to be like every other class. It wouldn't necessarily teach you things, so much as guide you into thinking openly and questioning the world around you. Even the first assignment showed the class how to redefine their perceptions. And stereotypes are never a good thing. That's one of the huge lessons I've learned from the class - stereotypes are usually wrong. Feminism is not about man-hating. Feminism is not about anger. Feminism is not about revenge. That is shown a lot in Kindred. While Dana's presuppositions were challenged and modified by all the people in Maryland, their notions of her and the way she should be changed as well. Many of the slaves saw her as an "Uncle Tom"-like person, seeing as she spoke "white" and could read, but as they got to know her, the other slaves started changing their opinions and seeing Dana as another person, akin to them. They realized that her dreams and aspirations were not too far off of their own. Dana held her own in a time where a black woman doing so was not heard of often. And the same goes for feminism itself. Dana knew of a time of equality between genders and (to an extent) races. And feminism has those exact same goals. The novel Kindred really helped me put feminism into a realist light. It became something I could do, something I could accomplish. I could change the stereotypes of others and help them re-define feminism.

But the course was not just about feminism. It was also about art. But a lot of the questions were the same. Just what is art? What counts as art? And, just like the term feminism, art comes in all shapes and sizes. For example, In Pérez's Chicana Art, she dedicates a whole chapter to altars as an art form. When most people think about art, they think of sculptures and paintings, not altars. But most are intricately designed for one specific use: to be used in holy, religious ceremonies. In some churches, they are inlaid with gold and other valuable metals in order to please God. I completely agree with Pérez when she says, on page 96, "altar and related art forms bring into view the important questions of how our religious beliefs shape and impact our social lives, and the role that art plays in the process." This question is also brought up in chapter one of Freeland's But is it art? Both chapters share some insight about religion and art. Freeland states a lot about the use of blood and other bodily fluids in art (especially modern art), and how some people want those only to be used in very traditional religious ways. I, however, tend not to judge artwork. I am not a textile artist, and do not feel it is my place. I do think, however, that almost anything can be considered art, you just have to change your perspective about it. That is one thing that I have learned from the story of this class. If I have learned anything, it is that abstract terms such as "art" and "feminism" do not have set definitions. In fact, their definitions change all the time. For the second assignment, almost every group had a different working definition of "feminism," but not a single one of them was wrong. They were all just from different perspectives. That is what I have applied not only to feminism, but art as well. I honestly have changed my perception of art, and now think that just about anything can be conceived of as an art form, given the right point of view. Some art may be offensive, but the fact that it's offensive doesn't take away the essence of it being art. I would rather prefer something such as traditional stained glass paintings to Piss Christ, but I am not going to say that it is not art, because I feel that it is art. Actually, my uncle, who is an artist, does some art that a little on the ... controversial side, shall we say. He has made spoofs of many "classic" Renaissance paintings, like The Last Supper and Venus. And while these were not made to sell at all (but rather to promote upcoming picnics and parties he was having), I have always still considered them art. They definitely have very artistic qualities to them, but their main goal is entertainment purposes. Criticizing life all the time and getting no humor out of the situation leads to a dull life, even for an artist.

These readings have been very closely tied in with the message that this class has been trying to give. Many people have preconceived notions about art and feminism, and define them in a certain way. This class, and the readings, try to show us that art and feminism are not always packaged the same way each time. Art can be in the form of billboards, movies, sculptures, music, and many other forms. And feminism can even come in art. Before this class, I would have never thought that. But now, I can look around my world and see feminism almost everywhere, working its hardest for equality. I have even taken to telling some of my friends about feminism and how it works, and they have been astonished at how diverse it really is. I have also encountered sexist thinking and dispelled it using examples and such from the class itself. The class has taught me that I am a feminist and that I am proud of it. Yes, my place in this class is to learn, but I have also brought the learning out of the classroom and into real life.

That was one of the things I enjoyed most about my favorite reading, Kindred. It displayed feminism in an unfamiliar time, but had the heroine apply what she knew into the new time period. It feels like I am doing the same thing, just in my own time and not in the 1800's. The application is the kicker. Dana asserts herself so that she is not helpless, and manages to change a few minds in the process. That is part of what I think this class was all about, the story of the class. To take feminism (and art) and make it your own. Make it work for you.

The readings have also helped me generally understand the class and how feminism really can be for everyone. And not just for women, but men, too. Everyone. Kindred especially shows how feminism can transcend all ages, races, genders and time periods. It is essentially timeless. But it wasn't only the readings that involved me in the class, it was the assignments, too. Having the small discussions really let me voice my opinion if I needed to, and also helped with my presentations. I feel comfortable presenting in front of a small group, but larger groups tend to scare me. All of us were really able to have an input in our learning, especially with Assignment 2. And while Maren and Maria helped us with the assignment, we definitely took it and made it our own. I was one of the "leaders" in the group, helping flesh out and organize ideas, which was one of the most important things in that assignment. Without that, we really wouldn't have had anything. But the small groups have helped me see other individuals and what they think as opposed to what I think. This opposition in thinking has really made me question my stereotypes and preconceived notions throughout the whole semester. We were able to hone in and redefine definitions that each of us had, rather than just fleshing out each person's definitions, which might have happened if the section size was larger.
All in all, I learned a lot about myself from this course. I learned that I was looking at some aspects of the world in a way that was not conducive to the truth. I learned that I am a feminist and that I think almost everything is art, given the right perspective. This class has taught me to read text efficiently and to plan ahead when doing assignments. It has helped me work better with others, which has always been something I have been pretty bad at. It didn't teach me much in the way of academic knowledge, but this class has taught me plenty about being a critically thinking person, which has plenty of value in the real world.