“We Are Here. We Exist.”

“Guerilla art is the surreptitious, and often sudden, creation or installation of unauthorized public art, often with the purpose of making an overt political statement.” -conceptTshirts.co.uk 2010

  Since 1989 the wearing of hijaab and other overtly religious symbols has been a much debated topic in France, causing many public protest and riots. In 2003 the wearing of religious coverings of any type was banned in public schools. Later in 2004 a ban on hate-speech and large public religious symbols was passed meeting with much disapproval from an international human rights organization, Amnesty International. Most recently, on January 25, 2010, the parliamentary committee announced a recommended ban on religious symbols in hospitals, police stations, other public buildings. Enter Princess Hijab, a guerilla artist that has been “hijabizing” the streets of Paris since 2006. Her work is dynamic, and highly sociopolitical.

Princess Hijab mainly travels around the subway and bus system of Paris at night targeting prominent advertisements. Occasionally she makes her own posters, flags, or sets up mannequins. Regardless of her medium, her preferred being a black paint marker, her work is always well-lit, guarded, and highly public. This adds to the dynamic nature of her art. She always chooses advertisements where the subjects are in bold poses or stances. Muscles are usually displaying tension or rigidity and the lighting is always in cool tones bringing the subject away from the background. Her targets are usually highly air-brushed giving a clean, polished appearance that further draws the subject out along with their copious amounts of exposed flesh. Princess Hijab uses flat flat black pigment to cover these subjects faces and often a fair portion of their torso as well leaving negative space in both the bright backgrounds and the flat blackness of the hijaabs. This serves to separate the viewer from the subject. The dynamic effect of her art isn't only the separation of the subject from the viewer by covering the subjects face but also the dripping paint extending from the majority of the hijaabs she paints. This gives the effect of being doused, drenched, providing the feeling that this was done TO the subject and not BY them. At the same time this contrasts with the bold poses, cool lighting, and air-brushed look the advertisements are displaying. The effect is both highly striking and highly sociopolitical.

It is no accident that Princess Hijab's main focus is hijaab in the tumultuous time in France. She her work is a powerful statement not only empowering many women who choose to wear hijaab but also the French laws against large religious symbols as well as bold revealing advertisements in a time where religion can scarcely be expressed. This is evident in her very first piece under the persona of 'Princess Hijab' titled “We Are Here. We Exist.” and perhaps one of her most famous a flag constructed from the side profiles of three smiling women in a blue, white, then red hijaab, the colors of the French flag. Her statements are furthered by her black dripping hijaabs placed over advertisements. It's as if the completed work was saying "This was done to me, this isn't about me, but yet I will stand strong." It is creating a powerful commentary about the law banning hijaab. It's saying "you can do this to us, you can ban hijaab, but we are still strong,"

The sociopolitical commentary and the striking dynamic contrast in her work stands sharply against France's current policies towards “hate-speech” and public religious symbols. Both public and overt it speaks to the it cannot be avoided by the passersby. Essentially it provides a role model or icon for religious citizens, political activist, and artist alike to identify with as well as inspiring deeper thought into both politics and advertising.

Guess what?

It's September 11th and I'm not burning anything!

I'm actually about to go down stairs and make some fish and chips. 

How about you?

I'm sorry.

Hey guys, 

I'm sorry I haven't been online a lot recently. I've told a few of you whats been going on. I'm not out looking for pity but I feel like I owe you guys an explanation for being absent for so long. Not that I couldn't have logged on. I probably should have, but I didn't. I gave into the stress. It was just so much easier to immerse myself into reading and not face anything else.

Something in February my Nana(mother's mom) started retaining fluid and her blood pressure skyrocketed. We found out she hadn't been eating right or taking her insulin in spite of her living with my Uncle and his family. We all took turns traveling to Montgomery where she was hospitalized sitting with her trying to get her to eat right and take her meds. She was only eating fruit and even sneaking candy even though she was told her life was in danger. This went on until they found her unresponsive one day with sky high blood sugar. She became severely septic and her heart started deteriorating. Meanwhile her brother(my great uncle) started having problems with his kidneys. He passed in early May and my Nana a week after. This has been very stressful for me I have received some criticism from some of my family and been called calloused for not posting about this and for avoiding their post. I could have dealt with it but I didn't want to. I found it painful and maybe I have been wrong but I just avoided it.

A few weeks later one of my High School/college buddies was killed by and IED in Afghanistan. Here is a link if you want more info:

http://freedomremembered.com/index.php/spc-brendan-p-neenan/

Once again I"m sorry for my absence and I have saved all of the updates and I promise I will go back and read all of them.

While sitting with my Nana in the hospital one of the only ways to get her to calm down and let the nurses attend to her was with music. One of the last songs I sang to her was one I learned from my Papa(father's father). I'll leave you with the lyrics.When I can read my title clear

1. When I can read my title clear
   To mansions in the skies,
   I bid farewell to every fear,
   And wipe my weeping eyes.
   And wipe my weeping eyes,
   And wipe my weeping eyes
   I bid farewell to every fear,
   And wipe my weeping eyes.
2. Should earth against my soul engage,
   And hellish darts be hurled,
   Then I can smile at Satan’s rage,
   And face a frowning world.
   And face a frowning world,
   And face a frowning world,
   Then I can smile at Satan’s rage,
   And face a frowning world.
3. Let cares, like a wild deluge come,
   And storms of sorrow fall!
   May I but safely reach my home,
   My God, my heav’n, my All.
   My God, my heav’n, my All,
   My God, my heav’n, my All,
   May I but safely reach my home,
   My God, my heav’n, my All.
4. There shall I bathe my weary soul
   In seas of heav’nly rest,
   And not a wave of trouble roll
   Across my peaceful breast.
   Across my peaceful breast,
   Across my peaceful breast,
   And not a wave of trouble roll
   Across my peaceful breast.

I just feel...

An excerpt from a miscellany I wrote a few years ago. The topic was an intense emotion and I chose anxiety.

I feel like I want to cry. One look can feel like it drains your soul.

I never feel adequate but I am told not to allow myself to be walked over. This makes no sense! If I don't feel very high then how can I act it? I hate charades but this is what life is turning into. Opinions are good for those who can defend themselves, but for those who can't they are tools for their own demise.

I just feel so alone and rejected. That look he gave me! How could he? I know how people feel now and I can’t believe I didn’t pity them before. I now know that he can be quite ruthless. It was a look of complete distaste. I can't get it out of my head. I wanted to run but I couldn't it made me sink down. It has brought back so many feelings. I don't understand this!!! It's like I have been hit by so many emotions at once and I want to explode. But I can't. So I will just sink away.

I really don't understand now. How? Why would... they say the eyes are a window to the soul. If they feel what they portrayed then I am very afraid. It brought tears to my eyes. THIS IS WHY I TRY TO LAY LOW AND NOT MAKE DECISIONS!!! I hate it when people get upset and fight especially when it is with me or directed towards me.

I feel satisfied but strangely empty. This always follows finishing something. Maybe that is why it is so hard for me to finish projects.

Once again I feel drained. These emotions leave just as fast as they come. Leaving a sticky residue that acts as a sort of lock on my heart and preventing me from letting anyone back in. I know this is wrong to keep people away like this. 

I feel so scared. I’m afraid of the rejection I felt as a child. I’m afraid of pouring my life into someone just to have them hurt me later on. I can’t live like this.

I feel an immense fear at the brink of confrontations. I may seem bold in my blogs but spoken words tend to be more difficult.

I feel really uncomfortable when people are upset. Especially when they are not quite mad but just more perturbed, I hate it even more.

I feel so much frustration. When I know that I can't fix it I tend to get emotionally detached and go into a shell. Sometimes it is hard for me to come back out.

I feel so detached. I hate this.

I feel just nothing except disgust at a lack of feeling. This is in a way worse than being extremely perturbed or sad. I just know that if I don't stop I'll go somewhere I don't want to be. I got in the habit of doing this with my mother due to her frequent emotional outburst. I know it isn't good. It’s not like I care what people think of him or anything like that I wasn't even mad about the negative opinions. (Although it was slightly annoying) I just didn't like the intense, uncontrolled emotion.

I feel uncomfortable. I just wanted it to be over. All I could think about was making it stop. I didn't know how to make that happen so I detached myself from the entire thing thus detaching myself from all emotion as well. It is almost depressing. It feels like I can't breathe. I really need to work on this. I know I can't just run from high emotional situations forever. You see when these said situations involve me I tend to just give up and stop what ever in order to get out but when it is not about me I can't do that. I feel lost so I just run by emotional detachment.

I feel like I want to sleep forever…

Currently A Farewell to Arms - For Whom the Bell Tolls 2 Vol. Set By Ernest Hemingway see related

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

            In the novel For Whom the Bell Tolls, Pilar is probibly the most likeable character. She exhibits many popular traits such as strength, ability to speak well, and wisdom. Some Pilar had a tremendous affect on the plot of the book. Many critics believe that smooth words had the most influence. However, it is her actions not words that have the most influence; this is shown through her manipulation of Robert Jordan and Pablo.

            Pilar does many things to manipulate Robert Jordan. She, first of all, gains his trust by aiding in sewing his packs. These packs are extreamly important to the plot of the story. If they had not been mended there would have been no way for the explosives to be carried down to the bridge in order to blow it up. If the bridge had not been destroyed then Anselmo would not have been killed. Anselmo’s death contributed to the losses felt by Robert Jordan that are signified in the title. Another way Pilar manipulates Robert through her actions is when she foretells of his and Maria’s relationship. This aids their receptiveness toward each other. Eventually Maria and Robert enter into an electric sexual relationship in which they claim the earth seems to move when they make love.

            Pablo is manipulated by Pilar in many ways. It is not far into the novel that we learn of the band of guerrillas’ true leadership. Pablo, in fact, only leads in name, and it is his wife Pilar who makes all the decisions. It is Pilar who get Pablo to agree to helping Robert Jordan. She, having more wisdom that her husband, sees that Robert is truly attempting to help their people and is not really a spy. When Pablo cannot unite the band on his own, Pilar does so easily through her “taking over” of the true leadership.  Because she then convinces Pablo to make wise decisions the band is united as a family and is able to provide Robert with the support he requires.

            Had it not been for Pilar’s manipulation of Robert Jordan and her husband Pablo many events in the novel may not have even occurred. Robert and Maria’s relationship may have never occurred. Anselmo would not have died. The bridge Robert was sent to destroy would never have been blown up. Most importantly, the band of guerrillas would not have been united enough to provide the necessary support for Robert. Pilar truly influenced the plot by her actions.