Author Archives: EDEN HAKIM

Pablo Picasso was a spanish artist born in Malaga, Spain on October 25th, 1881. He spent most of his adult life in France and passed away in the country on April 8th, 1973. Aside from his notorious painting career, Pablo Picasso had also delved in other artistic activities. He was interested in sculpting, making ceramic pieces, writing poetry, and printmaking. Pablo Picasso’s main painting style was Cubism. Cubism was an avant-garde art movement that had emerged in the early 20th century. Picasso was one of the key artists to start this movement and art style. Cubist artwork depicted natural figures in a more fragmented and abstract way.

The specific Cubist art piece that struck me at the Museum of Modern Art was Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. The piece was created in 1907. It is an oil painting sizing at 96 inches by 92 inches and is worth 1.2 billion dollars.  The painting is of five female prostitutes in a brothel. Picasso paints these women in a Cubist way, adding sharp angles and distinct lines to their figures. These women look rigid and exposed, they are not made to look like the typical porcelain, dolled up female figures in art of previous times. It is a piece rather raw in nature, causing society to step out of its visual comfort zone and the general visual recognition of women in art and culture as perfect beings of beauty. The uniqueness of this piece caught my eye and the unusual depiction of women. His way of painting these women is strangely beautiful, it is different from the typical paintings of women.

This piece connects to the Modernist element of being brutally honest with the audience, not covering up the gruesome realities of life, and not covering up the natural wonders of humanity. Instead of shaping these women into ideal figures of conditioned beauty, Picasso challenges viewers to find the beauty in what is in front of them. Women do not all look one certain way and every person is uniquely beautiful in their own charms. Whether you view these women as beautiful or not, the point is that Picasso has brought raw reality to light in this piece.

He has painted unique looking women that do not fall under the typical female depiction in classical art. Adding to the rawness of this piece, Picasso illustrates a rather risky topic. Prostitution is not something that has generally made to be seen as artistic and Picasso had decided to use prostitutes as his focus for his painting. Through Cubism, Picasso has brought a different approach to art and depiction of the human body to light. Oftentimes in early art, women were depicted as delicate symbols of beauty or temptation but in this piece Picasso illustrates theses women in a rough and distorted element, typical feminine features are made to be more masculine.

Modernist writers had introduced a new and different form of writing to the world where the absurd are welcomed and acceptable. Modernist literature puts societal appropriations to the test in bringing up raw, gore, and otherwise known as shameful themes to a story. The element of absurdity and risk taking in terms of questionable material to the properness of society is a part of both Modernist literature and Picasso’s piece Les Demoiselles d’Avignon.

After reading A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, I found that Mary Wollstonecraft’s observations on the social attack upon women pertain to be relevant in today’s society. In many countries and cultures around the world, educated women are viewed as a threat. This seen threat has caused certain places and communities to hold restraints on education for women and at times forbid women from learning altogether. As Mary Wollstonecraft suggests in her writing, women are pressed to be obedient creatures as opposed to authoritative figures. She compares women to soldiers in the sense that women are expected to follow orders, stick to an assigned mission, and do their best without questioning their responsibilities.

This perspective reminded me of a moving event of our time that displays the possibilities of what can happen when a woman gets out of her drill line and questions the systems that bind her. Malala Yousafzai was a sixteen-year-old when she took a bullet to the head for fighting for her right to an education. After continuing to speak out about the societal falsity of depriving girls of education, Malala had faced several attempted assassinations. At age 17, Malala won a Nobel Peace Prize for her contributions as an Education Activist, being the youngest recipient.

To me, Malala symbolizes a break in the chain, a strong woman who was able to stand up for what is right. Her bravery and sacrifices have provided countless young women with educations that were merely impossible dreams prior to this breakthrough. Malala proved that women are capable of fighting for what they believe in. She went to the extreme of risking her life for the sake of pursuing an education. Women are not a force to be reckoned with.

Oftentimes, people take things for granted when they are at their disposal. Personally, I have never really sat down and thought of how privileged I am to be educated. I have always understood the power of education but it has become such a regular thing to me that I have never considered what it would be like to not be allowed to attend school. Education and knowledge are powerful tools that help an individual grow and take shape. Taking a look at Malala’s life and the situations of so many other girls, I am lucky to be able to have an education and it has given me the perspective that signing up for school isn’t such an easy thing to do in all places. Growing up in New York, forbidden education has never once been a worry that I have had to consider; had I been living a different life, in a different place, it is possible that my education would be a fatal crime. I can only imagine how helpless one must feel when they are isolated from a pot of knowledge that is crucial in order to be present and sufficiently take part in society.

Wollstonecraft’s argument for a society in which men and women are equal is an argument that has yet to be solved in 2019. I recognize that as a nation and society we have come a long way in terms of gender equality and I am thankful to live in a country where I too get to vote, get to work, and get to be educated. Unfortunately, as a globe, we have miles to go. In present-day Iran, women are getting murdered and arrested for dancing in the streets and for their choice in wardrobe. The perspective in which women are seen as domestic objects has yet to be eliminated from many people’s eyes. No person or gender should be above the other as Wollstonecraft expresses. Equality is a working progress, society’s wheels are turning.

Hello,

My name is Eden Hakim. I am a sophomore here at Baruch. I was born and raised on Long Island. Being from New Y0rk but not from the city I’ve never truly felt vested in the New Yorker persona until I started attending Baruch. Embarking on daily walks, train rides, and subway experiences have made my life a bit more interesting. During the day I am absorbing the city life and at night I return to the comfort of the suburbs.

On my free time I enjoy drawing, creative writing, reading romance novels, going to the gym and spending quality time with family and friends. I have a thing for weddings and love attending them, coming from a middle eastern background weddings are always super spicy and fun. I speak English and Hebrew fluently. My family is Israeli, Persian, and Moroccan so I’m always surrounded by lots of exotic food, loud music, and super warm and energetic company. I am especially interested in traveling, experiencing new cultures, people, food, and music. If you take a look at my music playlist it is filled with all different languages, I have learned to sing along to the songs but have no clue as to the meaning of the lyrics.

Over the summer I worked at a Law Firm on Wall Street and am considering the path of law school, however; I am a true artist at heart and am not willing to put my passion aside. Every bone in body screams creativity, I am a thinker and a maker. I have an art account on Instagram called ‘edendraws’. I am trying to grow my art as a business on the side and the plan is to pursue law as a safety net and for security. I’m hoping to live the best of both worlds.

All in all, I am looking forward to a bright and inspiring school year. I am eager to see what this year has in store and work at further developing myself academically and in every other aspect in life. 🙂