Entry #2 Aesop

("The Tortoise and The Hare" Painted by Tiffany Holman (me), Watercolor on paper)

The Hare was making fun of The Tortoise for moving so slowly.

"Do you ever reach your destination?" The Hare asked with a mocking laugh.

"Yeeeesss" The Tortise replied "annnd I geeet theeree quiiicker thaaan youuu".

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                 Who created the moral standards we use today as a society? And at what point did humans switch from what Sigmund Freud (a doctor who also dabbled in psychology) would call the Id (pronounced Id as in, idiom) to the superego? Side note: The id is know as the part of the mind that acts on emotion and instinct, simiar to what some would call animalistic traits. The superego is the polar opposite in a humans personality. This part of the mind is concentrated on morals, social norms, and self-criticism. Frued claimed that the human mind constantly struggles to find a balance with each of these different parts of persona. The happy medium in between is called the ego. When one side gets out of check we experience anxiety. Freud's is one of many different explanations for the personality. But the question still lies with me, Who is setting these social standards that we base our lives off of? They are not static, whatsoever, and change so frequently.

                 It's in our nature as humans to conform, it creates an ease when commuting day to day at a variety of activities. This social script allows us to have expectations of people at the grocery store, and an unspoken communication with others when navigating through the DMV. But how far should one allow society to write the script of their lives? There must be a point as Freud thought, where the id and the superego meet. Where people can compromise with the world around them but still feed their natural desires. There are many places where people receive their mental references for socially acceptable behaviors. I believe the main source is through the media and the culture within our closet proximity, but one of my favorites is through a collection of stories called Aesop's Fables.

(The Northwind and The Sun, Watercolor, Tiffany Holman)

                The story of  The Tortoise and The Hare is one of 725 written by a Greek slave, known as  Aesop in the late to mid- 6th century BCE. His stories usually take place between two different animals teaching a moral. This last Summer I had the opportunity to work for a quintet of musicians here in the valley called The Mill Ave Chamber Players. During this project I illustrated seven different Aesop tales. Shortly after finishing these paintings, the composer of the music and I sat down and created some videos incorporating recordings of the music and art together. You can see all of the seven different videos by typing Mill Ave Chamber Players into Youtube where you will find their Youtube channel.

                                    (The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing, Tiffany Holman, Watercolor↑)

       
(From left to right:The Stag and His Reflection, The Shepherd Boy and The Wolf, The Fox and The Crow, The Oak and The Reeds)

         I had to add one of my favorite artists into this post who goes by the name Aesop Rock. AMAZING lyricist, I'm not sure how he memorizes all of his lyrics for his performances they are all so unique and obscure. Enjoy!