thesecretsof1102-blog

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Introduction

        Upon entering the webpage, not much information is presented aside from the course title. Pink hexagons form a honeycomb pattern while soft piano music plays in the background, creating a very mysterious vibe. Clicking one of the blank hexagons leads to a poem…

        The design of this exhibit focuses on the theme of secrecy found throughout the class readings. Regarding the layout, I chose Tumblr as the platform because users can submit their own questions and comments to this page. Considering the theme of secrecy, this exhibit can engage the audience by encouraging them to submit their own secrets. Also, pink is the main colour of the page because according to colour psychology, pink is a calming colour that suggests safety and vulnerability – something that could influence how the audience receives the exhibit and choses to participate. I also added a music player with Yiruma’s River Flows In You, because I believe that calming music would work with the colour psychology, creating a calm and “safe” environment which would fit the theme of secrecy. Overall, the goal of the design/layout of the exhibit is to provoke curiosity and encourage people to engage.

        The content of this exhibit itself is about secrets. The form of the objects is representative of expression. To illustrate, all the “objects” share the form of poetry – a form of self-expression often used to tell stories or express emotions. Furthermore, the poems selected all refer to some sort of secret; for example, a nightmare, a secret universe, or even coming out. Although these poems are similar due to the theme, their content and meaning is completely different, thus relating to a wider audience. The poems are mostly text (2 are images), because it is impactful by solely focusing on the words and resonating strongly in the reader’s mind, rather than having an image to distract from the words. If the poems were in another format, such as an image or audio file, I believe that the meaning of the poems would change. For instance, an audio file would be spoken in a certain tone, taking away from how the audience perceives it. In text form, it is just the reader and the words, and their own interpretation.

        Each poem selected is important to the story being told in this exhibit. For example, Rupi Kaur’s poem gives me the chills because it tells the truth, a secret that all humans hide – their true selves. This reminds me of a Japanese proverb: “You have three faces. The first face, you show to the world. The second face, you show to your close friends, and your family. The third face, you never show anyone.” This is the only poem in the exhibit with a drawing, because I feel as if the drawing enhances the impact of the poem. If I were to take away the drawing or my comment, it would change how my audience understood the poem.

        The one poem that stands out the most is a poem by Pablo Neruda, possibly because it is the longest and it is in another language. Pablo Neruda is the first Latin poet I have known of, and Queda Prohibido is my favourite poem by him. It is not especially famous like his other poems, but it holds significant meaning to me because I would read this when I was going through difficult times, and it has become my go-to poem when I am trying to relax or motivate myself. I did not provide a translation because I did not want the meaning to get lost. Those who speak Spanish may understand it in a different way than those who translate it.

        To summarize, this exhibit is representative of the theme of secrecy. Not only is the content about secrets, the design of the exhibit is meant to be secretive and produce curiosity. Furthermore, my goal is to have the audience engage in this exhibit by submitting their own secrets (anonymously, of course). When exploring this exhibit, keep an open mind and be prepared to immerse yourself in poetry.

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Everyone is living in an alternate but parallel universe. They do not feel what you feel, they do not see what you see, they do not do as you do, but yet – they are walking right next to you.

​Untitled – The Word Virus (Alternate Reality, like Ready Player One. Relevant to secrets because a person only knows of their own secret universe…)

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This poem represents a secret in the form of hiding our true selves/thoughts from others.

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You can’t keep her in a cage, clip her wings, tell her lies, say that fragile birds were never meant to fly. Watch her live behind a rusted door, latched tight, her spirit slipping away so you can keep her in sight. Beautiful creatures cannot be confined. Her wings will grow, she’ll find the sky.

​Untitled – Christy Ann Martine (direct reference to circumstances in The Yellow Wallpaper)

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One cannot keep secrets without lying. And one cannot lie without protecting a secret.

​Secrets and Lies – Akuma Kawashima (This reminds me of when Clay stole the log from Mr. Penumbra)

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Queda prohibido llorar sin aprender, levantarte un día sin saber qué hacer, tener miedo a tus recuerdos. Queda prohibido no sonreír a los problemas, no luchar por lo que quieres, abandonarlo todo por miedo, no convertir en realidad tus sueños. Queda prohibido no demostrar tu amor, hacer que alguien pague tus dudas y mal humor. Queda prohibido dejar a tus amigos, no intentar comprender lo que vivieron juntos, llamarles sólo cuando los necesitas. Queda prohibido no ser tú ante la gente, fingir ante las personas que no te importan, hacerte el gracioso con tal de que te recuerden, olvidar a toda la gente que te quiere. Queda prohibido no hacer las cosas por ti mismo, no creer en Dios y hacer tu destino, tener miedo a la vida y a sus compromisos, no vivir cada día como si fuera un último suspiro. Queda prohibido echar a alguien de menos sin alegrarte, olvidar sus ojos, su risa, todo porque sus caminos han dejado de abrazarse, olvidar su pasado y pagarlo con su presente. Queda prohibido no intentar comprender a las personas, pensar que sus vidas valen más que la tuya, no saber que cada uno tiene su camino y su dicha. Queda prohibido no crear tu historia, dejar de dar las gracias a Dios por tu vida, no comprender que lo que la vida te da, también te lo quita. Queda prohibido no buscar tu felicidad, no vivir tu vida con una actitud positiva, no pensar en que podemos ser mejores, no sentir que sin ti este mundo no sería igual.

​Queda Prohibido – Pablo Neruda (My favourite poem. Significant to me because it has helped me through a lot.)

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You have shed a thousand skins to become the person you are today. And if you ever feel overwhelmed by the many people you once were, remember, your bones have grown, but what makes them has never changed.

​A Thousand Versions of You – Nikita Gill (I found this poem when searching “Coming Out” on tumblr. It speaks to me on a strong personal level and represents the difficulties of being LGBTQ.)

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A Never-Ending Life, With Its Never-Ceasing Woes, Its Never-Breathing Worries, And The Immortality To Grief, This Is What I’m Afraid Of, The Nightmare I See With My Open Eyes.

My Nightmare – Immortality! – Atul Kaushal (direct reference to Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore and the big secret that everyone was struggling to find out)

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The Chaos of Longing – K.Y. Robinson

(This poem reminds me of Judith being left at the institution and when she would “lose herself” by getting too into the newspaper articles.)

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Lake Merritt is Bud Powell’s piano The sun tingles its waters Snuff-jawed pelicans descend tumbling over each other like Bud’s hands playing Tea for Two or Two for Tea Big Mac Containers, tortilla chip, Baby Ruth wrappers, bloated dead cats, milkshake cups, and automobile tires float on its surface Seeing Lake Merritt this way is like being unable to hear Bud Powell at Birdland Because people are talking Clinking glasses of whisky and shouting “Hey, waiter”

​Lake Bud – Ishmael Reed (Direct reference to The Archivist and Judith’s secret reassurance)