Workshop 3, Exercise 3

[Sue]

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Any work of art is multi layered. It works both on the artist's side and the spectator/hearer/reader's side.
There's the abstract idea that it's "about."
There are the clues that present the idea/s.
There are the things the artist intended to show us, and the things the artist included that may have been accidental.
There is the observer's own conditioned or reasoned or instinctive response or intellectual interpretation, which is overlaid on the previous list.

Your writing task now is:
to construct a piece that is "about" an abstract idea, but to write about it entirely by example, showing us, not telling us, using concrete terms throughout. EG: show us happiness, or submission, or anger, but without mentioning the abstract at all.

Don't tell us what the abstract noun/idea is, don't title the piece with it, but let us guess what we think it is, when your first draft is posted.

Any other ideas are fine of course, especially if the image files I presented get you going.

[normsk1963]

The first rays cast long shadows between the peaks beneath the dominating white towers of the Nyainqentanglha mountains, rising over them through the mist. It had taken me many days to reach, to stand in the place where my teachers and their teachers had before. Bowing once, I raised my flute to my lips to play the tune I composed for departed Master Dotschung.

[Sue]

Yep, you got the hang of the exercises, well done Normsk. I'd say that if I only read the final piece, I would guess the abstract word to be "obedience" - but I can see how you've worked in both dominance (which you only just avoided...) and submission.

[normsk1963]

Maybe some of the ideas from the photo were residual, but I actually picked another abstract idea to express. This piece was supposed to embody 'XXXXXXX'. <editted out in response to Sue's post>

[Sue]

Shh... you should leave us guessing for a while

[Geourban]

I've been following these challenge exercises. So much is out of my league at present. I would like to suggest that the abstract noun in this piece is Respect.
Carolyn

[jsquire]

Hi Sue, this sounds like a fun exercise, here is my attempt...

The woman walks slowly and cautiously towards the check point avoiding any sudden movements. Her son is pressed to her side. She fumbles in her pockets for their papers. The papers which identify them as Palestinian.

The Israeli soldiers watch her and share a joke which she doesn't understand. They all laugh. She laughs with them.

She is commanded to approach. She walks forward holding the papers in her shaking outstretched hand. Her mouth is dry. Her breathing is shallow and shortened. Her son looks up at her with resentment in his eyes.

I look forward to getting some feedback, Jason.

[Sue]

Nice work. Submission? Not strong enough for fear, but possibly anxiety?

[jsquire]

Hi Sue,

Thank you for your feedback. I was thinking of anxiety and powerlessness.

Jason

[Sue]

You succeeded then