IX. (In the News)
Emma finally snuggles into her bed,
After she answers the door to her studio.
Emma was cleaning to clear her mind that was full of names she called Thomas; like ass-hat. And then she was interrupted by what seemed to be apprehensive knocks at the door to her studio in midtown Manhattan, in the same building where she had critiques of her work from professors and other artists in her masters program. She liked most of the professors and she had a true respect for the work of her peers, so she was almost excited to answer the door hoping that it would be someone to have interesting conversation with. It was the artists next door.
The man was in his early twenties and he had a ruddy beard that made him look dirty. He was dressed impeccably though, and it was obvious that he had chosen colors that complemented the brown of his skin. He also wore thick rimmed black glasses that matched the woman he was with. She was the same age as the man and shorter than Emma but she had a lot of personality and made herself seem bigger. Her eyes were a beautiful shade of green and Emma thought it odd for a Korean woman.
“I am Mahmoud, this is Annie. We are sharing the studio next door and thought we would introduce ourselves.” They shake hands and Emma invites them inside. Annie surveys some of Emma’s works in progress and asks questions that Emma is happy to answer.
“I paint,” Annie explained, “but I have been exploring performance. I’m inspired by dramatic acts of rebellion, the simple acts of protest that jam up powerful oppressors. Your work is almost a combination of these things, Emma.”
Emma is honored at the compliment. “I appreciate art in motion and I like to combine different disciplines into something complex and interactive. I want the experience with my work to be more than just standing and looking, there’s plenty of that already.”
Mahmoud explained that he was a photographer and primarily a sculptor and he had resisted the urge to animate his works with motors or rotating joints because it undermined the severity of his creation. “You want to know that your work is being properly considered. I don’t want my statue to be comparable to a GI Joe. I create with the hope of stopping my audience in their tracks, I want to make them double take and then stop and look. But I want to explore more interactive work.”
They talked about where they were from and what brought them to the master’s program. All of them had made a personal resolve to dedicate their lives to creating works of art to make the world a better place. Annie eventually wanted to become a teacher and Emma explained that she did too, but maybe closer to the end of her career. Mahmoud wanted to become a journalist.
“Photography and sculpture seem completely unrelated, but my passion for sculpture comes from my desire to tell the stories of my native home, Syria. There has been so much blood shed, so much apathy and hatred, I want to create something to tell that story. And I want to go there and report to the world what’s happening.” Mahmoud told Annie and Emma about his cousins who died while protesting in 2012. “I can’t do much to help them, but hopefully I can shine a spotlight bright enough to make Americans care and support the uprising.”
Emma and Annie are thankful that their families are not in an active war zone.
“You afraid what might happen to you, that close to the fighting?” Emma asked, aware that terrorists killed journalist when they wanted to scare Americans in their homes.
“Its worth it. My cousins died, thousands of people have died because they know Assad to be a tyrant. I can’t shoot a gun, but I can take pictures.”
Emma was inspired by Mahmoud and was happy to have met the artists next door to her.
The three of them talk until it is dark and they walk to the subway together. Emma imagines that she will sleep well tonight, after a day full of experiences.
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