Seexeng Lee gave one of the best presentations all year. He really meant it when he said he'd be speeding through. It went fast, but his timing was perfect. I had just enough time to keep notes on his lecture, and not enough time to get bored. I also related with him a little bit more since I consider myself to be an artist. This lecture let me know how much I have in common with Hmong artists. Blacksmiths, Weavers, Singers, and all the other artisans created things that had purpose as well as beauty. I have always preferred making practical things to painting canvas, or other purely aesthetic things. It's pretty cool that I can share something like this with a culture that is based on the other side of the world.
Seexeng said, "Art is not a product - art is the journey." This is such a wonderful explanation. I think this applies so well to the art of the Hmong. Since they used their art, it would really be the making of it that is prized. I remember seeing some of the artistic Hmong pieces at the Center for Hmong Studies for one Monday night lecture. I didn't realize then how odd it must be for Hmong adults to see those useful items hung on a wall or held in a glass case.
I liked how he talked about adapting to a new environment. I think his more recent art is such a wonderful blend of Hmong culture and American mediums. It is just fascinating to see. I really appreciate that we (our honors class) explored not just the scientific and literary successes of the Hmong culture, but we looked into the aesthetic side as well. This reminds me of our interpenetrating magistra of the ways of knowing from last semester.
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This Monday night's session was once again a surprising experience. Seexeng Lee came in and told about Hmong art. Lee spoke full of pride of his culture and the development of Hmong art. In such a passionate manner Lee spoke generally about artists, but also his own struggle. Lee is now a teacher of art, but still has his own projects or works of art. Lee shared with us that the most common form of art in the Hmong culture is Paj Ntaub, which is an embroidered piece of cloth that is done by women. These clothes are depictions of Hmong history, but are very useful. These cloths originated in a refugee camp and were intended for a specific function. These would be used as baby carriers, among other uses. Lee then spoke his own story and history. He was born in a refugee camp, but when he came to America he struggled. His father worked very hard for his family and when Lee decided to be an artist his father could not understand why he would do that. On top of struggling to be American and living the Hmong lifestyle, Lee was faced with the challenge of his career. Lee had many great insights that kept the class interested.
Seexeng Lee definitely connects to the other Hmong speakers, and also the books we have read on immigration and the Hmong culture. Lee took this a new direction though and gave the perspective of the arts behind the history. The instruments that are used and the cloths that are used in every day Hmong culture are all handmade and have great significance. All of the history that we have previously heard about Hmong culture was very prevalent in art that Lee showed and spoke about throughout his presentation. I found that his experience was similar to that of Kao Kalia Yang, who was from the same generation of Hmong people.
I was quite surprised at the amount of significance art plays into the Hmong culture. It was very interesting to see how all of the cultural history aspects play into much Hmong art. One thing that I found interesting was that the most prominent medium of art in Hmong culture was the Paj Ntaub, which is done by woman. This is interesting to me because woman do not seem to have a very high place in Hmong society, but this seems to prove that wrong to an extent. Also, I found it interesting that Lee's mother, when asked why she never said "I love you" to her son, that she shows her love every day. She stated that any person could say that, it seemed shallow to her. This changed my perspective on the way in which the Hmong interpret love because it seemed that that was not something said, but there is a purpose for that.
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I loved the way that Seexang Lee talked about art. He described it as a journey, and the end product captures that journey. Hmong artists consist of silver-smiths, weavers, singers, musicians, storytellers, and embroiderers, who are the most important due to the amount of essential embroidery in the Hmong culture. It was interesting to hear Seexang talk about the functional aspect of Hmong art. I've seen a lot of pieces of beautiful Hmong art, and I just assumed it was a means of expression of the culture; I never dreamed that all of those artifacts had actual purposes. The beautiful designs are meant for keeping good spirits interested and fooling the evil spirits, and the clothing patterns help distinguish between different groups of Hmong (Green, White, Striped, Chinese, etc.).
This presentation opened up a whole new realm of the Hmong culture to me. We've heard so many stories about the immigration of the Hmong people, and we've heard about some of the traditions and customs that hold the people together. But I think that one of the best ways to learn about a group of people is to study their art, and so I feel like I have a deeper understanding of the Hmong culture after listening to Seexang and seeing all of the examples that he exposed us to.
I'm starting to understand why so many of the Hmong people in Appleton (and probably other immigrant groups in other areas) keep to themselves. When the new culture you are struggling to live in doesn't know anything about the culture you were born into, it's hard to bridge the gap and form bonds with people outside the culture you are used to. I've always thought that the Hmong presentation during Global Week at my high school every year was a good way to try to bring everyone together, but now I don't think that is enough. There is so much to learn about every culture, and I think that that learning process is the first step to understanding and coexisting peacefully and comfortably.
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I think the biggest thing that I got from his conversation with us was that Hmong art has never been just something to look at. One thing that he said I thought was really interesting--that certain decorations that people wear are throught to keep the soul intrigued with their beauty, so then the soul wants to stay with the body. I thought this was a neat concept, even though I obviously don't believe it. It gives an explanation for some of the Hmong fashion, and it's possible that there are similar beliefs in other cultures that I am not aware of.
After the original art that Hmong people made, which served a very useful purpose as clothing, tools, and other daily items, the next wave of art still served a useful purpose, although not in as obvious a way. Many paintings, quilts, etc. show the Hmong journey across the river and the entire story that the people went through. These quilts and paintings, along with the oral tradition and some songs serve as a way of preserving the culture, which is really neat.
One thing that Lee said that I thought was really profound was that "on the surface it's really Hmong, but underneath, it's all of us." He really finds beauty in his heritage, and he encouraged us to dig deeper to find the beauty in our own heritages. As someone who kind of never really thought of myself as someone with a heritage, this was really something to think about, and hopefully something I will be able to find beauty in someday, just like he did.
Last night, at about this time, we got to hear from another speaker in the immigrant community. This week our guest was Mr. Seexeng Lee, and Hmong artist and art teacher. Art in itself is a very elusive topic, but when I heard Seexeng explain it to us it made much more sense. He said that art was not the product itself, but the end prodct that displays the entire journey. Hmong art is a good discriptor of this because it's isn't really made to be looked at, but to be used. Traditionally, Hmong artists are silversmiths, blacksmiths, weavers, singers or embroiderers among other things. By far, the Hmong are most known for emboidery. One piece of embroidery, the Paj Ntaub, is used to intrigue the spirit so that it dosn't stray away. With time and the shift to America, Hmong art has been forced to change. Seexeng does not see this as a bad thing at all, he views the mixture of the two cultures as a blessing in disguise. As Hmong art continues to change, there have been many successes expecially here in the Twin Cities. Some of these include different hmong art organizations, the oportunity to obtain a MA or BA in art, and simply being able to share the story of the Hmong culture.
I thought it was very interesting to see Seexeng's art in the exhibit a few weeks back, and now being able to actually hear him speak, the pieces hold much more meaning. I almost had to laugh, when he started speaking about Folk Art and how Hmong art is not made soley to look at. I distinctly remember looking at his pieces at the exhibit and often quickly moving on to a more aesthetically pleasing piece. When I was viewing his pieces earlier, I didn't understand the importance of gold leafing, and the idea of art in a functional way such as intriguing the spirit. Last night's presentation helped me to have a greater appreciation of the art that we viewed a few weeks back.
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Lee also told us of his personal journey to America, and how the clash between the Hmong and the American cultures has influenced his art. He said, "Many may say that living with the collision of two cultures is a burden, but I find it a blessing in disguise." He was able to find a balance between his heritage and his current country. That is something that is important for everyone to find in their lives.
As a dancer I consider myself to be an artist. I create movement and lines. I have to be connected with the piece of music that I am using, with my choreography. You have to have an emotional connection. Hmong art and in general art is about an emotional connection. If the connection isn't there than the emotions are not there either. Art is so difficult to define. Art is whatever you want it to be, I believe it is an emotional connection to anything you creating. Webster and Britannica have very different definitions. I have to choose a definition that I agreed with the most it would be Britannica's. They ideally defined the connection that I see when I think of art.
It was interesting to hear Seexeng talk about Hmong art. The Paj Ntaub was such a functional piece in older Hmong culture. Now it is used as a decoration. It has such intricate patterns. It was interesting to hear that the real meaning of Paj Ntaub is flower cloth. The reason it is named that is to protect the baby's head from the evil spirit when they are little and have a soft head. It was alos interesting to hear about the singing during new year and how it used for mating. Was he kdding? Because that would seem a little awkward, but that might be a tradition in Hmong culture. Also that the Hmong culture didn't have a written history until 1952. I found that really interesting, I always knew they were storytellers I jst never knew for how long.
Monday night was filled with lots of new and excited information. It was a very interesting night!
Last night our Honor's class had the pleasure of listening to Hmong artist Seexeng Lee who came to speak to us. He began with an overview of art in general, and then went specifically into Hmong art and his personal story. He told us how Hmong art isn't meant to sit in a museum and have people simply look at it; it is meant to be used and to be functional. He told us about his journey to where he is now. His family wasn't accepting of his desire to be an artist, but he pursued it anyways with an immense amount of passion. A quote from his website says, "Many may say that living with the collision of two cultures is a burden but I find it a blessing in disguise." I think that this is a really neat view and it was interesting to see how he coped with his Hmong culture while adapting to life in America. I feel like his pieces are so beautiful in looks and in the passion that went into making them. He spoke about the evolution of Hmong art and how it has become more hybrid; mixing classic Hmong with American. One last quote that he left us with that I really liked was, "It is my job to make the invisible, visible."
We have had the privilege of getting to hear from so many wonderful speakers and last night was another great addition t our list. It was especially enjoyable to hear of Seexeng Lee's personal views and story since we have previously viewed his work in the convocation a few weeks ago as well as in the Center for Hmong Studies. It feels like a backstage pass when we get to learn the behind the scenes details. Having very little art experience myself, I really enjoy listening to artists speak. For me, it reopens my eyes to their work and helps me remember to widen my, usually narrow, perspective. I feel a little bad after learning about what the mural in the Buetow is, because though I haven't passed by it often, when I did I didn't pay that much attention to it. I think too often I take things like art for granted, because I am no artist myself, I sometimes forget all of the work and passion and thought that goes into a piece and Lee did a good job of helping remind of that.
Though I was very tired and mentally and physically drained last night, even though it was the first night back from break, to be honest I was not looking forward to another speaker at all. I am very happy to say, however, that I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Lee speak. I don't know if it was his intention but he gave some good life advice. This has actually been true of almost all speakers, the more I listen to them the more I learn about myself. It makes me really excited now to learn more about my Norwegian background through our research paper. He spoke a student who said that he wished he was like him because his culture was "so cool!" and he said he told that student to dig a little deeper and they too would discover really great things about their culture. You should be proud and knowledgeable of where you came from and I can't wait to learn more about lovely Norway. Uff da!
Also he made the distinction that Hmong art is very personal and functional. All of the traditional work is done for everyday living purposes. The clothing was very ornate and intricate. I have such a respect for these Hmong women that can create these masterpieces of art and simply use them for living. Not hanging in a museum or selling them for massive amounts of money.
Frequently I am in the music building so I have seen the art before, but I haven't really soaked it in. After hearing Xeexeng's stories I spent a few minutes today looking closer at the artwork hanging on the wall. The connections and the background of his lecture made the art stand out more so than it has before. In general I enoyed his lecture and all that he brought to the table in his art and his outlook on art in the world. I want to leave you with my favorite quote of his from the night...
"Art is about making the invisible, visible" -XeeXing Lee
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This past Monday Seexeng Lee came to speak to us about Hmong art, his art and the context from which both come from. It was a very interesting discussion because I had no idea Hmong art was so unique. I never realized how American it is to think of art as aesthetically pleasing and nothing more. To be perfectly honest, I have fallen into the trap of liking art for its aesthetics and not taking a deeper look into the context from which it came. While I have enjoyed art my whole life, I now realize that it has always been on a shallow level. I really like the definition Seexeng gave for art and how he believes that art is about the journey, not the final product. I have never really taken the time to consider what art means to me and coming from more of a performing arts background this idea of art is one I can definitely relate to.
Another aspect of art that I never took into consideration is the fact that in most "primitive" cultures art serves a practical purpose. Seexeng pointed out that Hmong art consists of flower cloths and story cloths which are used as clothing, baby carriers, etc. I never really thought of how weird it is to hang a blanket up on a wall rather than use it. Another thing that really caught my attention with using art for practical purposes is the idea that art forms bonds and identities between people. Embroidered clothing is used to distinguish between the different Hmong clans (such as White Hmong or Chinese Hmong). Again, having been Americanized I had never considered art to be a part of an identity for anyone but the artist but now reflecting on it, it seems like common sense. When an artist is putting together a masterpiece, they are not just putting their own identity into it but they are also helping others develop their identity through viewing it, or in the case of the Hmong, through wearing or using it.
I think the biggest thing I took away from Monday night's session was the importance of thinking about art in the context of the artist. For example, many of the flower cloths represent the Hmong beliefs and their spirituality. Without knowing this, the hats that are made for babies in order to protect their spirits are just hats and nothing more. Or the necklaces worn by men to keep their spirit around are just nice pieces of jewelry. I found it sad to learn that the work of many Hmong artists is rejected and not believed to have content simply because the context of their culture is not very well known. I think after viewing not only Seexeng's art but also the art from other immigrants and refugees at the convocation earlier this semester, my view of art and its importance in society has changed. Art from other cultures allows us a window into that world despite language barriers and I think art can be an important medium for making connections among any one from different backgrounds.
I was glad to hear from an artist whose work we have seen before, both in the Hmong center and in the art exhibition. I always love gaining a better understanding of where the art originates because the art becomes much more meaningful. Now, I can go back to that exhibition and look at Seexeng's artwork with a new perspective. Also of note, I love passing by the huge mural in the music building every day. I think it's a beautiful art work that is much more than just art--it demonstrates individuality and community at once.
I was really glad to hear what Seexeng had to say about Hmong/cultural art. In particular, I connected with what he said about people seeing Hmong or cultural art and passing it off as not very deep. Sometimes, when I see art with a message about culture, I think that it only has one simple message. However, Seexeng demonstrated that there is so much more to cultural artworks. For example, he showed the black and white photo with the traditional Hmong woman in color, and I would have looked at it and just seen that the tradition stands out and is important, Then, he explained how important the message was in showing that some Hmong feel like they are the only ones trying to hold onto their culture. That was really cool! I am encouraged now to look deeper at art from all different cultures. A deeper view will require learning more about the cultures in general, I believe.
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One apsect of his speech that I really enjoyed was that he made it pertain to us. He presented everything in such a matter which made it easier to understand, and even easier to relate to. Since he gave descriptions about everything, and then had the powerpoint to back up his descriptions, it was easy to stay focused, and even better because It was just so interesting. Art, is definitely one of his passions in life. The way he spoke, just created images, that seemed to almost be life like. It was a chance to explore the hmong culutre through art, and Mr. Lee was the tour guide which helped us a long. It was definitely a journey worth taking.
The one thing that I will always remember about the speaker is that he related to his audience. It was great getting to hear him talk about all of his culture especially with such passion. One could not have that enthusiasm if they didn't actually feel connected with the culutre. I will also, remember that he related his powerpoint to us too. He added Gran Torino, which was cool to hear about from a hmong's perspective, and he also added Brenda Song, who is an actress on the disney channel. That helped to make it known that this is happening all around us, whether it be media, everyday life, or on the screen, cultures are all around us.