2. Appraisal by others

"caging the songbird"
/enjaulando al pájaro cantor"

Lisa Koh, 17 years old
The first piece, caging the songbird seems rather depressing for me. some of the components i've looked at:
- there are 3 main subjects in this photo, the bird, the cage and the girl, and i think they correlate with each other (maybe the bird is symbolising the girl's will? or mind? or even her lover) I see that they are in..unison?? as they are connected to each other ( the girl is looking at the bird and the bird is looking at the girl...well, the girl's foot) The cage is also seen to be closed..so perhaps it illustrates that the bird cannot go back inside the cage afterall
- The bird is on a higher level then the girl: this for me, somehow portrays that the girl is trying to reach or..."capture" the bird back as it used to be but as the bird is on a higher level, I think it represents that whatever she's trying to get is unreachable
- If the bird does represent the girl's lover, I think the situation is "platonic". THe girl's clothes being white somehow can represnt "pure love" or "one-way love" however, the bird is blue?? coloured which represents um...perhaps freedom(?) or the sea and the sky, whcih is far too broad for the girl to handle perhaps..hmm
- the overall vintage setting: the lighting shows that its..sunset..which could mean that it is an end of girl's love(?) but it could also means preparing for a new start. the setting of the room also supports this as the girl and the bird is placed in the corner (portraying that the girl is "cornered" and "have reached the end") however, on the left, it shows a way into another room, which could also represent for a movement or a new start


Rina Schulte, 16 years old
This art work creates sense of connection between the girl and the bird, the cage is a symbol of enclosed space, however the bird looks as if it has freedom being out of the bird. The colours are earthy and natural giving a sense of home and belonging.

Sonya Jeong, 16 years old
I think Chamber is trying to express the freedom through the cage and the bird. The girl staring at the bird looks sad for some reason but it looks like the girl is saying that it is time for the bird to go back to its place, the cage. The colours are very dull and he has used earthy colours which gives a calm and lonely mood to the work.

"glass flower / flor de vidrio"

Lisa Koh, 17 years old

- there are 3 main components in this pic as well, the girl, the flower and the....o_o...deer/cow...i swear that looks like a calf..anywho..unlike the picture before, there are no special...connection between the girl and the animal..as the girl is looking away and the dow (deer/cow) is only interested in the flower. Maybe this portrays ignorance towards the reality, because the dow (possibly representing the girl's mind..i dunno y but the animals seems like its "unity" with the girl..) is wanting the flower (possibly symbolising a certain goal?) but the girl turned her head, showing ignorance

- Also the girl's body position: crossing of the leg and laying of the hands on her lap conveys a defensive position..so maybe its not ignorance but running away from the reality as well..as it shows that she doesnt want to face the reality face to face...
- the dow is higher than the girl in this pic as well..showing some sort of hierachy or an unreachable position like the pic above...
-.....random..but that ..wat-cha-ma called...the celling light?? thingy?? it looks like its going to fall on dow.

Rina Schulte, 16 years old
Tom Chambers often uses children and animals as his subject matter in his body of work and it creates that sense of animals as human beings. They have emotions and sometimes act like us... The deer looks curious and smells the glass flower, interested in the objects in our world.

Sonya Jeong, 16 years old
The deer smelling the flower seems like it wants to go back to its environment, the wild forest. The girl at the back looks like she's trying to ignore the deer's action by staring into a different space. The colours in this work is also very calm, the overall work gives a sadness and sorrowful feeling to the audience.