I.
Read through page 118.
II.
- Critically examine Picasso's art (see images to the right of this post).
- Why do you think Melinda was so inspired and captivated by Picasso?
- Identify details within Picasso's work to support your theory on Melinda's inspriation.
- How do these details connect to or represent Melinda?
- Respond to a classmate's interpretation: do you agree with their interpretation? Why or why not?
Responses must be thoughtful and respectful. Push the envelope :)
I think that picaso's art is very much like a puzzle of emotion. In the picture on the top, on one hand there are many bright colors which could be taken as happiness although it seems as though the "person" is crying and frowning. This seems to me like melinda because she sometimes is happy however at heart she is sad. The picture below it reminds me of melinda because it is very nondescript and seems very monotone and bland like melinda's attitude. I think that melinda was captivated by art because it is the one class where she can have some sort of freedom to express herself. Art also happens to be the only class taught by a teacher that she actually likes so that gives it some value to her as well. FIRST!! -THEO GEVIRTZ
ReplyDeleteI think that Melinda was so inspired and captivated by Picasso because his works of art, like her, require thought and effort in order to be understood. I too believe that the second image is a representation of Melinda for the reasons that it is very bland, monotone and nondescript, similar to her personality. When looking at the picture, it seems to be lacking a purpose and any real meaning, however, I’m sure that if you look deeper something can be pulled out. The painting above can also be connected to Melinda as a person and be used to explain why she was motivated by his work. When you first examine the painting, the vibrant colors make you think that the woman being depicted is happy, yet when you look closer, it becomes clear that underneath her colorful exterior, is a dark and unhappy person. The fact that her head seems to be split in the back shows that when people get inside of her mind and her thoughts, she isn’t who she appears to be. This is like Melinda because if someone took the time and made the effort to get to know her feelings and views, they would understand why she was so depressed on the inside and quiet on the outside.
ReplyDeleteThe reason why I think Melinda was so captivated by Picasso's work is because the artist is dying to send out a strong message to his viewers. Just like Melinda is struggling to speak, she can see the message that is eager to jump out of the picture. For example, in the first painting I see a scared women who is desperately trying to talk, but can't. This despair is seeping out the the paper and it is something that Melinda can definitely relate to. I agree when Theo says that Melinda enjoys art class because it is a way to express herself. To add more, it's a class that allows her to speak without words, which is a major issue she struggles with. -Alli Fuerst
ReplyDeleteI believe Melinda was inspired and captivated by Picasso because he saw beyond the surface; he speaks to an audience who feels as though they are not easily understood. At this point in the story it seems as though Melinda is waiting for someone to find deeper meaning in her unrecognizable transformation. I believe Melinda finds refuge in art, not only, because her teacher, Mr. Freeman, shows interest in her, as well as recognizes how to facilitate her abilities, but also because he’s shown her art can be interpreted in a number of ways. Melinda finds comfort in knowing there really is no right or wrong answer; the simplest creation can mean anything and everything. When examining these Picasso’s art, specifically these two works, I had trouble finding meaning or developing a sensation that was immediately recognizable; the only way to find meaning and feeling in this art is to relate to it. For Melinda, the fact that these paintings are distorted in such a way that “to see them one must really see them” took her breath away. Melinda is put together in the same fashion as Picasso’s paintings, her life changed that night during the summer, and although she may be mixed up, scattered, and confused – she is meaningful and holds a purpose in the world. In the top painting I see what looks like a woman’s head being split in two – it seems as though her world is being torn apart. I feel this symbolizes the two sides of Melinda, which we discussed in the Speak Lab. There is part of Melinda that wants to improve and move forward in her life, however reminders of the past continue to appear and send Melinda into a downward spiral. The two must learn to live in harmony, it seems as though the woman is crying in prayer for her head to remain in tact. The bottom picture can be related to Melinda simply because it is confusing; Melinda’s life has been turned upside-down and inside-out – I see this painting symbolizing the lack of definition in her life. After composing my response I scrolled up and read Jens. Before reading her response I hadn’t thought about the vibrant colors demonstrating the “shielding” exterior of a woman who was, in reality, deeply upset. I agree with Jen’s interpretation and it further supports my claim that art is left open to be interpreted in any way, shape, and or form.
ReplyDeletePicasso's art inspired Melinda because it gave her ideas for the tree she needed to create in her art class. Picasso's art taught Melinda to be more creative and add several different shapes instead of making a normal tree. Melinda also noticed that Picasso's work had a message for the audience to analyze. The first painting is an unhappy woman because she is crying. The woman is also trying not to speak but she has something she wants to say something. Picasso's art can represent Melinda because Melinda is always unhappy. Melinda wants to tell people what happened actually happened at the party and why she called the cops but she never tells anyone. Melinda is afraid because she does not know how people will react to the truth.
ReplyDeleteIn the passage I believe that Melinda was truley taken away by Picasso’s artwork. At first glance she was curious and was not inspired by his paintings but once she saw the cubisim peices she was quickly amazed. The concept of seeing beyond the surface intrigued her because she too must be interpreted and viewed through different angles. At just viewing the judgemental views of her, she seems like a dark, unhappy teenager but after seeing her from all different point of views shows her happy sides, her experiences that made her become the way she is and a deeper meaning. Melinda has always appreciated artwork as an outlet to express her emotions with out speaking to others and Mr. Freeman helps guide her through this learning experience. Art stands out to her on a creative aspect that she must spend time evaluating and putting meaning into things. At times she has difficulty thinking of meanings for her own life, and this helps her recongnize them. The picture in the middle can symbolize her life because there are all different shades of color. The background is a light shade that represents her past and her old life fighting to come back and her happiness. Coming closer on foregrounds patches of darker colors emerge to represent the spoiled spots in her life, and the unfortunate experiences and people that have entered her life negatively, they begin to overlap the happy person she once was. Also there are still some light spots on the foreground showing that there are times in her life when she can be pleased, her life is not fully depressed.
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ReplyDeleteIn analyzing and critiquing Picasso’s works of art, it became clear to me why Melinda would find such interest and inspiration in the art. I found that Picasso’s art targeted not the most typical group of people, and as Nicole mentioned, Picasso’s specific audience are those individuals that are not always easily understood. I could not agree more with Nicole’s statement, and I found Melinda to be that person who Picasso speaks to. Thus far in the novel, Melinda has exhibited her inability to express herself and identify the meaning of her existence. She longs for nothing more than to escape her life and live in a fantastical world in which the party and Andy Evans do not exist. Unfortunately, such a world does not exist, and it is because of this that she is so captivated by the work of Picasso. In the top image, I saw the face of woman who appears to be crying and scared. Immediately when I saw this image I thought of Melinda, and I even thought that the painting resembled Melinda’s physical appearance. In relating the woman to Melinda, I assumed that the hand was reaching to pick at her lips, much like Melinda deals with picking her skin on a daily basis. In addition to the location of the hand, the woman appears to be shocked and silent, again, like Melinda. While we the readers cannot physically see Melinda, we can all imagine what she looks like and how she carries herself. In my mind, I picture a small, petite girl who walks around with a petrified look on her face, much like the face in the painting. What surprised me about this painting however was the use of bright, bold colors. While Picasso may have been interested in such colors, I would not have guessed that Melinda would be attracted to the brightness of the colors. Because of her experiences and personality, I had envisioned her liking darker more subtle colors. Similar to Picasso’s work in which there is no right or wrong interpretation, Melinda is unsure of her life and cannot determine the right versus wrong thing to do. She wants more than anything to expedite the process of speaking up and revealing the truth about the party, yet she cannot find the inner confidence and strength to do so. While she cannot find the support from her parents or so-called friend Heather, Melinda is able to turn to Mr. Freeman for advice if she chooses. So far, Mr. Freeman has proven to be the only individual that has shown a sincere sense of caring for Melinda, and he is the only one that has encouraged her to express herself. In my opinion, art will ultimately enable Melinda to find her voice and speak. Because art contains no right or wrong answers, Melinda knows that she cannot screw up and choose the wrong path. It is because of this that she finds such comfort in Picasso’s distorted paintings, for like the paintings, she is twisted and mentally unstable.
ReplyDeleteI think that Melinda was inspired by Picaso's work because it takes a lot of thought to figure out what they mean and they are composed in a very abstract way. Also, because he viewed the world in a different way. In the first painting i see a women that seems happy on the outside yet is truly upset inside. It looks like she is struggling and doesnt know how to express what she feels inside. This is connected to Melinda because to her parents and her classmates she is just some girl that is a fail at life, they dont know what she is hiding inside of her. Also, like in the painting she does not know how to tell people about her "secret" she doesnt know how to express herself with words. I feel that she loves art because it is a way that she can express herself without using words. I agree with Casey's idea that art helps her with the meaning of her own life. I think that with art she will be able to express herself and create pieces that describe her life and how she feels.
ReplyDelete-Olivia Manley
I think Melinda was inspired and captivated by Picasso because i feel that she can relate to him i a way that it is hard for the reader to understand. I feel that in Picasso's work he always has two emotions in his art and that is what Melinda is like she might look happy on the outside but on the inside she is screaming with fear. This relates to her because she wants to be able to talk to other people but she is to afraid to like in the first painting. I agree with how Theo said she enjoys art because that is the only way she can express herself. But in a way that is better for her then not expressing herself at all because if she not going to do it with words why not drawing it.
ReplyDeleteBrian Goldstein
I believe Melinda was so inspired by Picasso’s work because in a way it wraps back around and represents herself. Even permitting her to connect to the artwork on a deeper level. Picasso’s large collection revolves around abstract art, art that is often shards and edgy to represent a form and/or emotion. In Melinda’s case the reason she truly connects to the work of Picasso is because she understands the level of intensity and emotion that breathed through Picasso’s work which traveled hand in hand with the exact feelings she was carrying on her shoulders. The fractured, demented pieces within Picasso’s work is reflecting her own personality in a sense of how she feels she is broken into fragments and unclear to everyone else’s perspective. Even misunderstood and not appreciated in the right light. I agree with Olivia in the aspect of how both Melinda and Picasso look at the world at an acute angle compared to the people surrounding them. They tend to see things raw and for what they really are because they are the ones that crave the satisfaction of understand who they are. So Picasso was able to use his art work to speak to the world, which it did in voluminous strides but Melinda is still struggling to find her niche. But like Picasso it will probably go along the lines of allowing her to express her own inner emotion and allow that to be her way to speak to the world.
ReplyDelete-Laura McKinsey
i think picasos art repersent melinda in many ways, as yu can see the brigh color area which is repersenting her old self and then the dark colors along with the face that is crying repersents who she is now after the party. Also its like melinda herself is broken up into shards its like diffrent shard of herself are all over the place but she really isnt doing anything to put those shards back in place for herself. The peices are also like a puzzle melinda is just lost and is still trying to find herself or put herslef back together....and yes i know theres some spelling erros but i was rushing :p
ReplyDeleteI Think Melinda was so inspired by Picasso's art because she could easily relate to his pieces. Although a picture has many meanings I believe when Melinda came across these pictures she interpreted the first one as a women crying. The women crying could symbolize sadness and unhappiness, an emotion Melinda is constantly experiencing. Similarly to Melinda, the women looks like she wants to speak but she can’t. In the second picture it kind of reminds me of a puzzle piece and how Melinda is trying to fit in with a group or anyone.
ReplyDeletealexis tedesco
To me it is no suprise that Melinda is captivated by Picasso's art. Like the picture Mrs. Maracevic posted up at the top they are all filled with many emotions. His work is abstract just like Melinda and I find that is why she choose his work. Also art is a way Melinda can express herself and her feelings of anguish and lament of the party and of it through her tree project. I agree with everyone in general all of these things like IT and the party exist in Melinda's life and will never escape her. Bu she will all ways have art to vent her feelings
ReplyDeleteThe reason why I think Melinda is so entranced with Picasso's art is beacuse it is so abstract yet images can be found within the painting's themselves. a hidden meaning that can only be found id you look deep and concentrate on the painting. Which is what Melinda wants others to do to her. To look deeply at her and see the hidden emotions hidding behind that frightened girl. it always seems like a safety way for her where as if the paintings get her and she gets them. Picasso makes his painting abstarct, in the sense that one can not be rounded and soft but can be random and sharp. Almost edgy. He paints things in different colors and in different shades because every one can be bright and cheery or dark and dreary. But everyone changes and has their own allura. Melinda finds and see's her self in his paintings. :) I personally love Van Gough but thats just me.
ReplyDeletei belive that picasso's art is one of a kind, it demostrates his feelings but allows other to find there feeling in his artwork.this could show how melinda relates to picasso's painting because it shows sign of depression which melinda can relate to in the crying ladies portrait. its not easy to come to this conclusion, it takes time to comprehend this painting to really understand it just like melinda.and in the other paint of the the random shape that looks bland and boring. this melinda can relate to because she is bland and ordinary. i agree with james on his post because in the second painting vangouh puts together shapes to make it seem like a puzzle. and melinda could represent this painting because she as well is trying to find herself.
ReplyDeletesteven maldonado
Picasso's artwork always has multile feeling that you can make up the meaning of in different ways, like in the first one there is both happiness and sadness. I think Melinda was inspired by Picasso's art was because her interpretation of the artwork made her feel connected to it. In the second piece of art, everything is mostly the same, but there are different parts to it that make it what it is. I think this is similar to Melinda because although she looks like every other teenage gir in her school, there are many different parts that make up her personality and who she essentially is. I agree with Theo in the fact that through art, she can have as much freedom as she wishes to express herself.
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