Vincent Chin painting

[LeaJade]

Hey, some of you know me from MM.com. My name's Lea. Really like a lot of the articles on this site. "Where are you, Vincent Chin?" really inspired me. Wanted to get his face out to the general public, or at least the people in my high school. (Since no one except for people involved in AA issues knows who he is.) Did a 6' x 4' painting of him, - simple line drawing in black acrylic, with yellow background, and "this is what a $3,780 dollar life looks like" at the bottom in hot pink. Sort of Andy Warhol-ish, only not a famous, well known - pop culture face. No one would recognize this guy. Anyway, I guess people seemed to really like it, so now it's hanging in the principles office. I will post a picture in the next 24 hours.

Also, for the future, if I want to quote or use lines taken from any of thefighting44s artiles is citing the quote good enough? Or should I get the authors premission? I plan on making a collection of huge paintings concerning Asian Americans issues, and identity.

[3line]

Great to see you finally make your forum appearance!

Welcome

[evil_FUX]

Sweet, can't wait to see it. Welcome aboard as well.

Also, make sure to drop on by to the Declarations of Intent forum so you can understand the stance of the 44s.

[Dialectic]

Whassup Lea, thanks for the props, and welcome to the Fighting 44s! We're very glad to have you aboard.

With regard to using quotations, how about this:

Take the phrase or sentence or paragraph that you want to use, and just indicate who wrote it (by screenname) on the piece. If somewhere else you can put a little explanation (like on the back or on an accompanying description) that you got it from F44s.com, that'd be cool.

eg. On the work of art:

I love jiggly boobs. -- ZhaoGao [OR ZhaoGao, The Fighting 44s]

On the back or an accompanying description: Quoted from www.fighting44s.com, a nexus for North American Asian Art and Issues.

I'm flattered that you would use that line (I was pretty happy with it), and I look forward to seeing the piece!

Oh and if/ when you do use further quotes for pieces, drop us a line and tell us, and post pics!

[awong]

hey lea
hope to see the painting online soon. I remember you mentioning it before on the voice chat...

[Apollyon]

"this is what a $3,780 dollar life looks like"

Hey Lea!!! I love that line!! That is pure genius. I think its amazing what you are doing, and that you are helping to educate people about this issue that nobody other than ourselves, seems to know nor care about. I didn't know that your principal liked it so much that he hung it up!! That is so amazing, you should be proud, you've made a difference already. I know it must be hard getting through to some kids at your school about this kinda stuff, but it takes time, and the momentum needs to build up slowly. The great thing about America and Canada I think is that we at least have the opportunity and freedom to talk about this kinda stuff. As much as people denigrate the whites for all the evils that have been done to various groups and communities, there are many who are innocent of that. The fact that your principal, whom I am assuming is white, and may even be male, has displayed your painting is a very positive and encouraging sign. Our plight has gone unnoticed for so long, but now it is being given a voice and a vision. There are many white people who are compassionate and care about equality and democracy and all the other rights and freedoms that their and our forefathers fought and died for. All that remains is the need for them to be educated and aware. But I believe we must have patience, it is a difficult thing having one's world view shifted, and it is not unreasonable that it may be met with some degree of resistance. Many whites may not want to admit the existence of white privilege I imagine. I know it was difficult for me to accept the fact that not all Asians have superior IQs and were math, music, and science prodigies. But like I said, it takes time for such radical shifts in thinking to percolate through not even the thickest of skulls. But remember that we can all stick together through these things and help each other out and support each other.

[LeaJade]

surprisingly enough my principle's an african american woman from nigeria.

[blue-kun]

Looks like there's a chain inspiration... This website inspired you, and now your story inspired me (i.e. gave a good kick in my ass) -- I'm an amateur composer. :D

Good work! Can't wait to see the picture.

Eugene

[kalbi]

surprisingly enough my principle's an african american woman from nigeria.


Like Apollyon, I was really hoping that your principal was a white person, and a male. Oh well. I still think it's wonderful that you Afro-American professor put that up on her wall - that is a gesture of solidarity from her to you as members of oppressed minorities. I find that moving.



Can't wait to see your artwork! :P

[Apollyon]

Damn, I was really hoping that white people would be rallying behind our cause and addressing these issues. How are the white people at your school responding to the painting and the whole injustice issue? Do any of them either understand or care? I think many will pay lip service to the ideal of justice, but in practice I think few will want to concede any forfeiture of their white privilege status.

[LeaJade]

I hate explaining my work to white people, or - pretty much anyone, but especially white people. I feel so uncomfortable doing it. I always get this confused look from them. Like... ~Oh... that's sad, I don't know how to respond.~ Or the ~NOT ALL WHITES ARE LIKE THIS~ look. It's made me want to cry a couple of times, but maybe that's just because I'm pretty sensitive in general. I dunno. My art teacher thinks it's really great - and a lot of my peers think it's cool... I think. That, or they just really like the colours and composition of the painting. I can't really tell if they like the whole theme behind it, or if they just think it looks cool. That's hard.

----
Also, I'm planning on doing a Cecila Zhang painting next- about the same size. I want to have some text on it, but I'm having trouble deciding what I should write. Any ideas would be MUCH appreciated.
Thanks.

[Dialectic]

Where's your link, Lea?! I wanna see this! :D

As for a possible caption underneath your next piece, well I have a few ideas, but this is a very controversial topic as is, so I'll keep thinking on it and possibly post something later.

[LeaJade]

I'll post it tomorrow morning at school. I couldn't today, since I took the picture with a school camera, and loaded it onto one of their computers - forgetting to email it to myself. I'll do it tomorrow in class.

[LeaJade]

here's a link to the painting. the colours show up REALLY SHITTY. you can't even tell that the pink i used is neon. also, the picture program on this computer is messed up, so you'll have to tilt your head.

(the person in the picture IS NOT me.)


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v293/leajade/vincentchin.jpg

[fr.]

You could make a t-shirt out of that. Too bad most people won't get it. Buy, hey, maybe they will find out.

[blue-kun]

LeaJade: I absolutely love it. :D And there are a couple of specific reasons to that too.

Hollow feeling his eyes and facial expression emanate: Disempowerment.

Simplicity of the lines, i.e. lack of any shade or other descriptive detail: Estrangement.

Both symbolifies perfectly what we take as an issue here.

fr.: We could make those T-shirts anyways and wear them ourselves. Because people will surely ask `Hey, so what's up with your shirt?' It'll be a perfect chance to brief them. :D

Eugene

P.S. Can someone move this thread to Paint Me a Picture and make it a sticky there too? If this doesn't deserve a spot, I wonder what will.

[Dialectic]

LeaJade originally posted under Paint Me a Picture, but I figured it would work better here? I can move it back if y'all want, no worries.

For some reason, I can't see any color in it! All I see is a full yellow painting with black outlines! (and red Courier font for the description) What's going on?!

[B the student]

I think that's how it supposed to be Master D. I think she ment the coloring might be off a little (specifically with the lettering) but she wasn't saying the colors of the painting weren't showing up at all.

LeaJade: you did a very good job. i did a lil comparison of the pic of Vincent Chin with your painting and you did a superb rendition. I hope you continue to harness your gifts for greater things, and I'm glad you're one of us. 44 for life.

~B the student

[awong]

lea:
here is the photo in the correct position
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/aw614/vincentchin.jpg

[LeaJade]

thanks awong.

yep... that's how the painting's supposed to be, not a lot of color. i thought it would be too distracting, and like - take away from the message, or the writing, or something. i didn't want it.

the next one will have more color, a lot more color.

[Dialectic]

My apologies LeaJade, I mis-read your original post and thought that his actual face/ hair would have crazy neon color! B and LJ, thanks for clarifying.

Very striking work. Certainly, this has a lot of impact as a result of size, simplicity, and color-contrast. That you were inspired to do this, and that your principal liked it enough to put it up in her office, it warms my heart!

[xian]

Wow! That's great to see you using your talent to create an artistically/politically moving work!

Perhaps if it's cool with everyone, you could work with the Core kids to run the scan of the picture with D's original work? If you cited your school's name and where it is displayed, perhaps we could get some crossprops going. Also, it'd be cool if students from your school would call up the site when they did searches for the school's name.

I totally feel you on the "explaining to white people" bit. All I can say is "be patient" with the "I don't get it folks"--if they can at least admit to themselves they they are not the know-all, end-all of racial issues, there's a lot of hope for growth. With the "NOT ALL WHITES ARE LIKE THIS" folks, just try not to let them get you down. It's a self-serving bullshit position, and as hard as it is to do, if you don't just fight past them, their position--white individual privilege--is reinforced.

(Of course, anyone who supports the current justice system has no right whatsoever to remove themselves from the Vincent Chin killing and miscarriage of justice, as it is a legacy that they have helped carry on.)

Anyway, you've created something with a positive force of its own. It can't change the world over night, but it will get inside people--it already has. That's something to be amazed and proud over.

[LeaJade]

that sounds like a good idea xian. i can crop the photo so it's just an enlarged picture of my piece. can you do the rest if i give you the information on school and... stuff?

[Makulita]

You know what, it really IS a chain reaction, because now I've got in my head that we should gather all the 44 artists and make up a showing. A gallery, somewhere we can show off and rep.

Yes yes, I know its difficult and most of the older 44 artists have jobs they need to attend to, but for the young'ins like Lea, myself and...uhh..azn4life2 and um...other dudes'n chicks, we can just start gathering up our shit now and make a big ol' visual noise later on. I've already mapped out some pieces I've had in mind, like an installation piece on IR where I build this giant balancing thingiemabob and on one side, I'd've made dozens of tiny little cubes with pictures of AF/XMs on it while the otherside has a couple of AM/XF cubes. Etc. etc.

But anyway, I ...uhh..don't really know the first thing on how to get a gallery organized but I was hoping a couple e-mails to Roger Shimomura could help out with that.

And Lea? YOU FUCKING ROCK SO MUCH LED ZEPPELIN'S CRYING! <3<3<3

So, are my 44 artists up to this? Shout it loud, shout it proud mothafuckas!

(I also realize I've been spouting a shitload of idealistic halabira lately. LIEK WHUT! :lol: )