“IA#9: Deriving Meaning

“IA#9: Deriving Meaning

DUYAN

This Photo as seen is about a Mother swinging her baby to his ‘duyan’. Duyan is the filipino word for a hammock or swing.It is usually used for babies, to make them more secured and sleepy especially when they cry a lot. The Duyan in the photo is made from rattan. The mother is wearing a ‘daster’-a house dress. The mother was obviously holding on to the rope so she can swing her baby according to the temp or rhythm she wishes,.

All of us have mothers. As I look at the painting, I can see that there are corners. There are lines that are bold which defines the corners. You can see that the wall is definitely made from plywood, the floor could be a linoleum or a flooring that is shiny and a little bit slippery. It looks like it is near a window as well, due to the light. The way the location is portrayed, the mother is dressed and how it has been presented, it looks like the Mother and Child comes from a poor family. A poor family yet the baby is smiling. Makes me wish that we are all babies, hope that we will have the innocence of babies. They aren’t discriminating, aren’t racist, no problems that they can still smile even though the mother looks troubled for something that is ahead. It could have been the father left, or the mother is worrying of something.

Nothing really beats a pieta-like theme, which is a mother and child. In conclusion, for me, this photo reflects innocence, sadness yet the baby is smiling, the sacrifice of a mother and what the future will bring. I admire how the artist made this photo, it is not really like 3D but it looks so real that you can see reality on the painting itself.

ALL BUNCHED UP IN BOXES

A usual bed has 4 sides. A room has 4 corners as well usually. Same with this photo. It may look like a frame as well, yet as I can see are 2 different boxes with different content. In each box, there are two children. First photo is about two boys sleeping peacefully in a box. Second photo is 2 girls, the younger one is sleeping while the older one is looking at the camera and cared to smile.

I remember when I was younger, every time a balikbayan box arrives in our door step, i always make the box as a small house for me, once emptied. Same with these kids. Their room is the box, they fit themselves inside the box. It could be that its telling us that as young as we are, we tend to fit in already. It could also give us a picture of appreciation and reality. Reality that not all people are blessed to have their own room nor bed, but you, you have a house and your own room. Appreciation for your family and to God that they have given you more than what you need. It could also mean ambition. Street children would like to be inside the box to feel what it feels like to be secured, to have their own room or to have their own privacy where in there is silence and they can sleep peacefully. Or probably, they just want to hide. They don’t want people to see them sleeping anywhere so they choose to hide in a box.

GANAP

Along EDSA, you will be able to see this mural. It is the Project Edsa and they called this Ganap. Some may say its vandalism, some may appreciate it, some may find it dirty. Just like tattoos, each print and stroke has its own meaning. I have seen this mural, some are animals, sea creatures, while the others form as organs of the body. What are they trying to tell us? Or are they trying to remind us?

As for me it could be a simple protest as well, since they are trying to paint animals that are few numbered already and is closed to extinction. It is reminding us to take care of our self first and everything shall follow. That’s what I understood about this mural, seeing heart, brains lungs and then later on animals. I always believe in the saying about loving yourself first so you can love others. We only have one life so we must treasure it, take care of it and be sensitive to the life of others as well most especially the endangered species, the nature. We all live in one ecosystem, sharing it with different creatures, and us being humans, we are ahead of them, we know better and we should do better. We are supreme being than them so we must know on how to handle and have better understanding of other beings that is not as functionable and knowledgeable than us.