Project 3 is another interpretation of my anxiety. I have a lot of anxiety about my body. I’m mainly a hypochondriac, so I thought about how im super sensitive to all the sensations in my body. To the point where all I can tbink about is what could be wrong with each part of my body.

ART INTO WORDS
Title of Event:Hank Willis Thomas’ Loverules
Date:03/02/2025
Time of Event:_Jan 18-Jun 21_
Location of Event: University of Arizona Art Museum

1. Provide a brief detail-oriented technical description or summary of the event
you attended. This section should remain journalistic and should not be
reflective of your opinion.
The exhibition, LOVERULES, is a collection of works by the artist Hank Willis
Thomas. It included themes such as commodity, identity, media, and pop
culture, but highlights Thomas’ ability to connect historical moments of
resistance to lives today. Core invitations of his works include critical awareness,
civic engagement, inclusive collaboration, and empathy.
2. Use the section below to write a well-structured paragraph focusing on your
personal critical insight / response to the event. How did you interpret or react
to what was presented to you?
There are still many problems today with equality between women and men,
races, sexuality, etc. These were things that people have been fighting about for
a very long time. Using all the archives Thomas had and connecting them to real
time events just helps make the realization that we are in a constant cycle of
hate.
3. Focus on a singular work from the lecture or exhibition that most impressed
you (or in the absence of such a work, focus on the work that was least
impressive). Write critically about why this work affected you so.
I was impressed by the work “20,923”, a lost polyester fabric flag with 20,923
individually embroidered stars. Each star represents a victim lost to gun violence
from the year 2018 to 2021, a homage to his own experience with gun violence
and general trauma experienced by those who lost someone. The message he
wanted to tell was that the flag that may instill pride, also represents a country
with policies and grim failures that are equally critical considerations. It is a great
piece to include in this particular exhibit, because gun violence is still a large
topic of debate. The indecision has put so many lives at stake, so this work is
promoting civic engagement, empathy, and critical awareness. I was so
impressed by this because of the time he dedicated to each victim in his own
way. Personally, I find it super important to remember those who’ve passed in
special ways. Life is only lived once, when you are gone, you’re gone for good.
But keeping a memory alive is the greatest respect for a person to me.
4. Overall, how would you rate this event (from one to five, five being the best)?
I would give it 5 stars.
5. Justify your rating above:
Though the art wasn’t in my particular tastes, it was still successful in sending
the message of the exhibit. It’s important to view work’s outside of your range of
preference, it helps to expand your mind and view from a different perspective,
which is important to the themes of this exhibit.

Humans tend to pave over the soil from which life grows. We have grown used to the concrete boxes we dwell in, being the only form of life we most experience in day to day activity. But sometimes, life bursts through the cracks and seams, trying to take back its right to grow. I wanted to photograph organic material taking its place on man made surfaces, reminding us to appreciate the nature around us that has allowed us to thrive. Sometimes you need to experience the colours of nature peaking through the grey walls surrounding you.

Anxiety has been something that's been controlling me and my decision making for years. I wanted to try and capture my struggle with it in this project. Firstly, the person in the chair places in areas meant for daily foot traffic represented how when I experience anxiety, I stop in my tracks to breath and ground myself. I then blurred the background to show how overstimulated my senses are during my panic attacks. Lights get brighter, noises get louder, and the room around me spins.

The silhouettes of nature with the life of city lights shining through. I often get anxiety of people forgetting that we are all animals. It’s ok to feel what we feel even though we are often told by others to hide it. Our nature is overshadowed by synthetic happiness.

Another representation of anxiety is just primal fear in nature. I often see images of dark spooky forests but I don’t see many of dark desert areas. I think it’s a great opportunity to further show that each experience is viewed from one mind. Now one will ever know exactly how you feel, A cactus in the cold desert night has to endure the dry winter alone only welcoming a visitor every now and then.

All of my proposal images are meant to somehow represent my anxiety, which is often all over the place so I can approach from multiple different angles. This first image shows the silhouette of a person surrounded by darkness and in the background, the silhouette of trees. I think this could be a good representation of my anxiety in isolation. But I also like the light shining in front of them, representing the idea that they’re still fighting to find a way out.