Project 2: Vinyl Intervention and Reflection Questions

1. In what way did you change your process to make a piece that was site-specific?
1. I changed the shape and overall aesthetic of the mask.  Originally, I wanted to feature an Asian person's face wearing the mask, however, I did not want to be so literal and wanted viewers on the subway to use the symbol to get the message.  Additionally, when I tried making a face it did not turn out the way I was planned.  I felt the emotion part was hard to capture. I changed the shape from a fashionable Asian mask shape to a more medical-surgical mask shape in order to be read by a wider audience. 
2. How did you challenge yourself creatively, conceptually and/or technically in the making of this piece? If you did not feel challenged is there something you would do differently if you were to do it again?
1. I challenged myself conceptually, I feel.  Because I constantly had to be reevaluating whether my message was getting across and how people would interpret it since Coronavirus is a hot topic. The "not a diseased bitch" was something I was scared to put on, but I'm glad I used these words. I added the details on the mask and then envelope warped the text and mask a bit so it wouldn't look flat.  I do feel I could challenge myself more though, maybe create a face (maybe of myself) to make it more personal, or add more elements to make it clear it is about anti-Asian sentiments.  However, I also do like the concept of anyone being able to wear the mask since it is alone.  I think it gives a more uniting factor that helps address the xenophobia towards Asians at this time.
3. Were there elements that made the completion of this piece either more difficult or felt not challenging enough?
1. The most difficult element for this project was working out the interaction between the sticker and the location.  I also think with symbolism it was challenging picking and choosing what elements would convey my message simply and clearly.
4. Reflect on the critique and consider how your experience was different from the first: was the feedback you received helpful? Be specific about why or why not.
1. Compared to my last critique, it was such a positive to me that my installation started a conversation about the xenophobia started against Asians due to the hysteria about Coronavirus.  The feedback was constructive which I appreciated, especially the comment about "what if my friend was not pictured."  I definitely grappled with this when installing.  It made me realize how important context is, and will definitely keep this in mind for future projects.
5. Please share any other thoughts.
1. I always get scared to present my work at critiques and for this installation, in particular, I think there was a lot I wanted to say. I haven't been in a space that specically spoke on corona and asians.  I am passionate about the topic so I was really glad to hear the disccusion and everyone sharing information and their own insight.  I didn't share much personal information, however, I wish I did to show a stronger connection besides being profiled Asian.
2. Overall, I really liked the idea of this project because I feel like it allowed us the room to create something for something bigger than ourselves.