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Created: March 6, 2003
Latest Update: March 6, 2003
jeannecurran@habermas.org
takata@uwp.edu

Red Shoes and Illocutionary Understanding

Site Copyright: Jeanne Curran and Susan R. Takata and Individual Authors, March 2003.
"Fair use" encouraged.

This essay is based on an exhibit of Monika JM. Lin, a California artist, who portrays her perspective of growing up as an Other. Look at the exhibition at The Kidder Smith Gallery (online), and consider your reactions either as one who has been an Other, or as one who has encountered Others.

Those of you who get to spend real time with us already know of my penchant for red, especially red shoes, red ribbons, red jackets, etc. So of course you will understand that I was drawn by monika jm. lin's Red Shoes series. jeanne

Discussion Questions

1. Is there an object from your own childhood to which you were very attached, like the red shoes of this series?

2. Monika JM. Lin based this series on a fairy tale. Is there such a story from your past that could elicit memories such as these?

3. Many fairy tales have violent ends, or at the very least, violent possibilities. These represent one way of expressing and calming fears, some natural, some of monsters under the bed in the dark. Does this series elicit any such memories for you?

4. Monika JM. Lin says:

   "The seemingly innocent use of fairytale is in fact a means of imposing and perpetuating social constructs - through representation or exclusion or de-valuation of individuals; as a perpetuation of hierarchical systems; as a means of holding power - and (in this case) specifically a warning against female sexual exploration."
   Exhibition statement by artist. Kidder Smith Gallery exhibition site.

   Can you see the social message Monika JM. Lin is trying to convey in this series? Do you think that the series of images might stay with you longer than a textbook statement of the same idea?

* * * * *

This is the beginning of a backup file, so that future students can still see the exhibit for our discussions. You should use the Gallery site for so long as the exhibit is up. jeanne

sleeping figure #1 . . . . larger version

walking figure #1 . . . . .larger version

3 pair #3 . . . . . . . . . . . .larger version

socks & shoes #2 . . . . larger version

tulips #1 . . . . . . . . . . . .larger version

seated figure #2 . . . . . larger version

3 saws . . . . . . . . . . . . . larger version * * * *

dress with bird"> on Encaustic Site.

Short biography on Monika JM. Lin