Author Archives: Emony Robertson

Backwards Ambition

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As much as I love to explore various forms of art, and the detail they may or may not entail, I am always anxious to making my own forms of art. This should be of no surprise for a few reasons.

One, my art is singing. Two, I’ve never been one to create a masterpiece, but I am good at spotting one.

With these things in mind, I still tried to be positive and join the linoleum workshop at the Johnson Museum. I cannot draw, so I stuck with what I know – words/phrases. My favorite phrase of all time is “GO GET IT”. The phrase helps me to remember that anything is possible, as long as I put my mind to it and work diligently.

I carved the words out on the linoleum piece given to participants, and was super excited! Why? Because it didn’t look bad or crazy. However, when I used the paint and pasted it on paper, MY PHRASE WAS BACKWARDS.

Here, I found myself a little bummed out, as I looked at everyone else’s pieces all nice and well carved. Then I remembered Jay-Z’s quote: “Cry a river. Build a bridge. And get over it.” After I wept for ten seconds, I got over it. I made four more of my backwards phrase, and thrilled to say that I arrived at a masterpiece.

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It was by no mistake that I would create a piece and call it Backwards Ambition. It seemed to be a little reflective of my life at the time. A time when I found that I had ambition, but it seemed to be working against me, this piece put it all into perspective. This piece helped to bring me peace that having ambition is an accomplishment, regardless of what direction it seems to be flowing. It reminded me that ambition will always lead to something bigger and better than you ever imagined, just like this piece.

Who Holds the Power? Not Me.

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Too often I find myself in power struggles. When I entered the Self-Defense Workshop, I thought I would walk out with the keys to holding the power in physically uncomfortable situations.

However, I was wrong. I walked out with one lesson. The power is not having power. In self-defense, the goal is to show respect for yourself AND the other person’s existence. If power dynamics enter a situation, it could escalate things for the worst, instead of ameliorate all problems. In addition, power can keep one from truly centering and channeling energy.

The Self-Defense Workshop was empowering for me physically and mentally, as I realized power has no place in safety, nor does it have a place in respectable environments.

May I Never…

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Initially when On the Verge began, I could not focus. The irony of students of color on the verge of a great college movement through social media, and watching a predominantly white, Eurocentric cast focused on making the world their oyster, put me in a difficult head space. In addition, I had no idea where the play was going. The notifications on my phone from student activists, micro-agressions in the skit, and my placement between it all, was slowly encouraging me to walk out.

Though it took a while, I later found myself at an ease. By this point it was the second half of the play, and I realized that they were time traveling – how cool was that! These three different women exploring the world’s complexities and inventions, during different time periods, with ancient minds could not have been more weird.

Anyway, the last few acts of the play were what caught my attention. Two of the main characters found a period of time that had all that they could ever imagine and want. The third main character wanted to continue exploring, though she had an appreciation for the 1950s as well. She wanted to finish discovering all that was in the future for her, though her friends believed that “The Future is Now!” To the audience members, at the end of 2015, this was funny and we all knew that they should continue the journey together. The third character left her friends, though it was not easy, and I’m guessing everyone lived out the lives they desired.

This play made me question my antics and ways. This play made me think deeply about my perceptions of my career, the world’s development, and the influence that loved ones in my life have on me. I walked away thinking the following:

May I never stop going after what the world has to offer

May I never be satisfied with what it offers

May I never be afraid to know that there is something more

May I never let leaving others scare me from encountering all that my heart desires

Because I never know what may be On the Verge…

A Better Understanding

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Too often I find that I have dismissed important issues and concerns, experienced by others. This year I have been in the process of a great awakening, as I have explored the realities of what people face.

As of last Thursday, I can say that I view the combined struggle of immigration and labor rights very differently. The film provided a clear, but optimistic, view of what people experience when they come into this country, in order to provide better for their lives and their families. However, I viewed the film through the lens of a business enthusiast. I am always interested in money.

Afterwards we were able to dive deeper into burning questions. Of course, my question revolved around money. I understood the interests of the small business owners and corporations. I also understood the interests and rights of the workers. Everyone wants money and deserves their fair share. The tensions in the film had much to do with the business owners not wanting to pay more money, and the workers not being properly compensated.

I asked what organizations or groups serve as the intermediaries of businesses and workers, in order to ameliorate tensions revolving money. To my surprise, there are none. I could help but think that if people had a better understanding of the interests and experiences of those on both sides of the table, bargaining processes would not have to happen so frequently. Personally, I believe that there should be an intermediary. Too much has to be put on the line for bargaining processes to be carried out; in addition, these processes do not typically end in favor of the workers.

Moving forward, tax payers, business owners, government agencies, workers, and so many others, need to get a better understanding of the interests that cause tensions, in order to limit the prevalence of high-risk, tension-filled bargaining processes.

Art and Its Many Forms…

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As a vocal artist, I spent so many years confining art to sound, not sight. However, over the past two years, I have made the conscious effort to break down those barriers.

Sound. Sight. Touch. Those are the three forms that art seems to exists. Most of my life I’ve learned to appreciate and experience art in sound. Now, I am entering the phase of sight. The colors, shapes, layers, textures, placement and so much more, affect how I view art. Whether an art gallery, a dining hall, or a parking lot, art seems to appear in my sight. Though I could delve into how powerful it is to even have sight, in order to experience art, I will digress. Back to the sight of art…

Seeing art has surprised me. It’s all over. I see it on many life items, people, and places. It makes my mind turn like music. It takes my breath away like music. It makes me feel tons of emotion, just like music.

With this in mind, I’ve come to love and appreciate art in its many forms to my new sight. Saturday was awesome because I appreciated the sight of art in the most unexpected places. When I am back home in New York City, I will not see art on the streets and subways as vandalism, but instead as inspired expression.

Enjoy this sight!

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Domestic Violence Has Many Voices…They Aren’t The Same

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During Cornell’s Mental Health Awareness Week, I attended two events that focused on Domestic Violence Awareness, typically celebrated in the month of October.

The first event I attended was hosted by sororities in the Multicultural Greek Letter Council – women of color. The second event was hosted by the Cornell’s Women Resource Center and the Voices of Planned Parenthood – predominantly white women. The feel of each event, the dialogue, the tone, and the topics were very reflective of those in the room.

Perhaps I identified more with one group than the other, but it that doesn’t change the significance of having these conversations, how efficient these conversations should be, and the hoped for outcomes. With Domestic Violence, these conversations should be fluid, conscientious of the many identities that are affected, and ways to make these spaces seem open. All in all, domestic violence is too touchy of a topic, and I believe that it is the job of the facilitator to address the many voices affected, in order to create a safe and aware environment.

Loving Thyself is Knowing Thyself

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Last week’s workshop, Love Your Body, was not my favorite in particular; however, it expressed one key fact: Loving yourself has much to do with know who you are.

Taking the time to know who I am I believe will boost my confidence in, and love for, my entire existence. Lyn Staack really connected loving oneself to understanding our entire existence – our physical form, the complexities of how the body works, our interactions with world issues, our interactions with different types of people and their ideologies, our interactions with our families, and most importantly, our interactions with ourself.

While those are a lot of things to consider it is important that every day I live, I explore these interactions and my existence. Why? Well, otherwise it will be a lot more difficult to love myself…Right?

The ‘A’ in Amy is Art…Can’t you tell?

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I thought that I knew and loved art. Turns out, I didn’t know it too well. Amy was an amazing piece of art, from the artist whose life we viewed through a secret lens, to the actual production of an untold story.

So often the media does, unfortunately, an excellent job at portraying celebrities to be villains, drug users, and anything else that separates them from seeming human. This highlights the importance of celebrities’ voices being heard, and their abilities to tell their own stories, with their mistakes, rationale, and moments of growth.

In this film, James Gay-Rees (Producer), Asif Kapadia (Director), and their entire team, did a phenomenal job telling Amy Winehouse’s story – it was almost as if she had put it together herself. Her story was told through many paradoxes – art, love, abuse (in its many forms). Nonetheless, you felt her. It felt like a conversation was had between an individual audience member and Amy, as so much of the footage was home videos and interviews.

What I love most about art is that no one piece, only tells one story. Every piece is layered with stories, and so was Amy. The film told the story of the star, her mother, her father, her close friends, her boyfriend, her bodyguard, her managers, and so much more. Even though the film didn’t tell their life stories as it did for Amy Winehouse, it gave perspective into their stories, and their relations to Amy.

With art that you’ve really engaged with, you cannot walk away the same. You have some new thought, new feeling, or something else. When I walked away from this masterpiece of art, I walked away knowing Amy Winehouse, knowing what specific pains could lead to, and thinking about society’s role in the destruction of good people.

Sonic Reflections of My Life: Confusion and Beauty

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On Sunday, October 4th, Jack DeJohnette’s Made in Chicago, was a sonic reflection of my life. The avant-garde jazz music was not like great consonance to my ears. It was a feeling – one that was too familiar.

The great dissonance and chaos that pulled the music together reminded me of life. Alone, each sound was beautiful, but together it they were misunderstood. Yet they painted a picture, not easily seen or understood. The sounds never truly stopped. Continuous sounds that strung the audience along, indicating that there was more. With every selection, every featured instrument seemed to take the lead on transitioning into the next song, and back to the chaos. By the end of the show, it made sense. They had just told a beautiful story – one not quite understand or beautiful as other jazz stories.

In an odd way, my life is very similar. Every goal, opportunity, or person, in my life is beautiful. All together it can be hectic, frustrating and not easily understood. Even during the show I could not snap out of my reality to truly enjoy, as I had to engage with the many facets of my life at once – just like the music. Yet, living is a beautiful thing! One great opportunity, family event, or friendship experience, keeps me going from one part of life to the next – similar to the selections of the show. And when I’m old, with beautiful gray hair, in a state of life, I could have only dreamed of, like Made in Chicago, I will see a much bigger and more beautiful picture. One that might not be understood or seen by all, but one that reflects the intricacies and beauties of the life I have lived.

At the end of the day, life really seems to be an endless cycle of confusion and beauty.

Invisible Woman, Visible Society

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Samantha Stern (’17), the curator of the exhibit, grouped the pieces featured in the photos as ‘Invisible Metal’. Aside from the usage of metal in under garments that can still be found in present day society, she noted how metal was used to shape women into who they should be and what they represent, even during pregnancy.

The exhibit pushed me to think about how metal was used to form society, literally and figuratively. The use of metal to take women of all walks of life, body types and more, and make them ‘ideal’ is concerning. As there are many reasons why this is concerning, the most important to me is the mediocrity. To me, using ‘invisible’ metal to shape what women should look like, in turn makes the women themselves ‘invisible’, for the visibility of American society.

While this may seem less true for present day society, as woman do not walk around wearing corsets and crinolines as often, it is not. I love how Samantha was able to bring this molding concept of metal to the present day with bras. Though I believe that the bra is a handy piece of underwear, this exhibit brought to light some concerns. One thing is obvious, not every woman has the same pair of boobs. Why then, do we try to conform all women with metal bras? Some women do not have large breasts, or two, due to certain circumstances. Do they really need bras? Why do we allow bras to be pushed onto young girls, who feel the need to stuff them? Realistically, most men with boobs do not wear bras, so why should we?

In my opinion bras are slightly tragic. However, I will never say bras should not be worn, as they serve other purposes like ‘keeping things together’. Most importantly, I will never stop supporting or wearing bras, because my world has been molded and shaped to believe that wearing a bra means that I am an intact woman; I am apart of a visible society and must remain a figuratively invisible me.

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A Journey with Refugees

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Art is new to my life; it is something that I experience with an open heart and open arms, doing my best not to include my mind. I believe that art is to be felt. Through Nicholas Lawson Carbonaro’s pieces and explanation, I felt his art.

The pieces were unlike any I have explored in the past year. They were difficult to place any one story to, yet very expressive in the stories they told.

One piece that caught my eye was “Refugees”. Three very distinct faces popping out of what appeared to be a fabric; it could have been ocean waves, when placed in context. After my interaction with the piece, I proceeded to engage in conversation with Nicholas, in order to ask what inspired the piece. He went on to explain that “Refugees” was an earlier piece of his; it was a piece that was almost a refugee itself, during his family’s moving process. Interestingly, he connected “Refugees” to a piece that was further down the wall titled “Family of Six”. He explained that both pieces were created during different periods of his life that placed the notion and experience of refugees in his face. He had gone from a piece of random people on different journeys, to a piece that consisted of a refugee family.

These two pieces have left me wondering about his interactions with refugees and what stories he may have felt. Personally, I love when recurring themes of artists’ lives are reflected through their work.

Overall, I’m grateful to have encountered Nicholas’s unique character and pieces.