For our second project, we are to find and use metaphors that we think represent our culture. Culture has a huge impact on us: how we relate to others, make decisions, live our lives. I think culture is a set of beliefs and traditions that a certain group of people live by. There are expectations about how life should be lived in every community. Many of us expect to get presents on Christmas and our birthdays. We dress up on Halloween, spend time with loved ones on Thanksgiving, etc. But these are only holidays. Culture includes how people prioritize. In some cultures success is the most important thing. In others, it's family. While culture plays an influential roll in defining a person, it is the people who define the culture. I find it interesting to see how cultures evolve over time, and often wonder how specific traditions are started. Over time, some of those traditions continue even if the people participating may not have any real connection to the meaning behind it.
And then there are sub-cultures. Within every broad culture, small groups of people create a little mini culture. Families, friends, organizations, co-workers are some examples of these.
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| My family is a very important part of my life. Each family is a unique sub-culture. |
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| Today, media and access to information has created a virtual culture. |
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| I practice the martial art of Aikido. This art is rich in traditional Japanese culture, but is also a sub-culture of it's own. |
The artist I chose for culture is I-Ling Eleen Lin. I can relate to the idea of "non-place" and the feeling of hopping from one culture to another.
Metaphor is a bit more difficult for me to describe. Perhaps a metaphor is an object of phrase that tries to convey/clarify an idea by relating it to something common or understood in that object/phrase. Blue often represents sadness, red represents love or sometimes anger. A flying bird is a common symbol of freedom. Metaphors can represent something as broad and complex, like life, or something very specific and personal.
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| Light can be a metaphor for hope, revelation, "good", etc. |
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| The cross is a very important metaphor in Christianity. It represents our burdens and shame, and ultimately the freedom from them. |
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| Here's an obvious one, and I hope it doesn't count as plagiarism (it's been around longer than I've been alive...). Is the glass half empty, or half full? Representing a pessimistic or optimistic view point. |
I chose Tyrone Geter for my artist representing Metaphor. I think he uses some very personal metaphors to convey his ideas.
