Momento

Challenge -Make a non-representational sculpture of a memory. For example, a person, place or event. Use no more than three materials. No less than two materials. You may deconstruct and manipulate materials.
Materials Used Wire(12" and 30" caliber), string, and one rock.

My memory from this piece is about experiences that I grew up with regarding many habitat for humanities projects in a small town called Calnali, Mexico. My first trip was when I was about 12 and it truly changed my life forever. Most of the work that was done was intensive manual labor (i.e. laying cinder block bricks, hand mixing cement, hand pouring and laying the cement, and building walls-replacing the cardboard or plastic that was known as someone's home). Every day was an uphill battle, and witnessing such a differently lifestyle of those less fortunate than me has really opened my eyes to exactly how blessed I am. Many of these families lived in shacks, slept on dirt or mud floors, and shared their living spaces with their chickens and livestock. The children there wore shoes that were 3x too small for their little feet, and had maybe 2 outfits for a whole year to wear. Just this past year, December 2011, I went on my own journey down to Antigua, Guatemala to do volunteer work at an orphanage. Just seeing the happiness in those children's eyes as you start to care for them, give them affection, love them even- the joy and hope that inspires them is something that I will forever hold deep in my heart and I will truly cherish for the rest of my life. These experiences, I believe, have made me grow stronger as a person and develop a sense of appreciation for the blessed world I was brought in to.

I wanted to created a memento from 3 bracelets that I have acquired from my mission trips. They are regular, intricately braided, friendship bracelets that children haven given me as a token of thanks and a forever long-lasting friendship.I weaved wire through them to give them more structure and to bend/curve them how I please. Next I took thicker wire, wrapped it with the same string that make the bracelets and formed it to represent a tree-like figure. The bracelets represent my time being in Mexico and Guatemala, and the tree like branches surrounding them indicates my time as a person and how much Ive grown just from the humbling experiences. The rock that is shown was also a token that I found walking along the beaches of Mexico, on a leisurely vacation trip. Coincidentally enough, it has a perfect heart shape cut into it- a perfect illustration of how my heart has seeded my passion for wanting to return someday and continue similar work for humanities projects.

Reading Response: "Inventory/ The Tokens"

My thoughts about this short essay is how similar my design objective is to how the mothers wanted to remember and leave behind a small piece of themselves to their children, just as I want to remember all the children that have touched my life. Small trinkets and other precious momento pieces are giving to abandoned children in hopes of one day the mother will be able to return to her child. Given the time period, I think it is an interesting way to "document" your child all the while staying anonymous in hopes of not being shunned from the community. It is saddening to know how many children were left behind, how many died, and how many remained in the shadows of permanent orphans. I feel like this reading and the memory I tried to bring to life go coincide very well together.