My Response to Anne-Marie’s Journals
Posted on 22. Feb, 2010 by Ieva in Ieva
Throughout the reading of Anne-Marie’s journals I was thinking about how I would portray my emotions and thoughts in response to these powerful pieces of writing. To capture the many facets, I decided that I would create a multimedia piece of art.
To start I used earth brown paint as the background of Lesotho, or what I imagined it to look like. There is a hill and a road to symbolize the road to Tsepong. I think people draw a connection between yellow roads and wizards or magical things. So when I did the background I made the road to symbolize the yellow brick road. In doing so I made it seem like the doctors and the staffs at Tsepong were the wizards.
When I read Anne-Marie’s journals I felt a very deep connection to what she was writing. It was almost like words and ideas popped off the page and went inside me. So to symbolize my feeling when I was reading it, I took direct quotes from her journals and made them pop off the page. In tying in with the metaphor of the clock I placed the sentences that are more dismal on the top left where a clock would start. As the eye travels around the “clock” the phrases and words get more hopeful to show the progress of the clinic over the duration of Anne-Marie’s work.
I experimented with many different backgrounds until I settled on the landscape and the faces of Lesotho. All of these faces of the men, woman and children of Lesotho represent the patients that frequent the clinic, on treatment or not. I thought there was no better way to represent the country where Anne-Marie is striving along with the rest of us to banish HIV/AIDS. The faces also represent my emotions throughout my reading of Ann-Marie’s journals. My emotions ranged from crying across the spectrum to chuckling.
The red wax dripping down from the top of the scene represents the tears shed by the patients and by Anne-Marie and her team during her time in Lesotho. Also it represents the blood shed by the patients and symbolizes the eventual death. Finally it represents the infectious nature of HIV/AIDS and how it is transmitted through blood.
Time, time past, time present, time future. Anne-Marie’s journals happen over time. Right from the beginning I was struck by her sense of urgency to not let another minute pass Lesotho and to not watch another person die of HIV/AIDS. The bracelet around the clock is the recognized symbol of hope; it is the Bracelet of Hope. The clock continues ticking of the hope of this kingdom, is a thought I have when reading. Also the rhythm of the clock represents a heart beat; the heartbeat of the people getting hope from her work.
