THE ARRIVAL - SHAUN TAN:
I thought The Arrival by Shaun Tan was a very successful way to portray the way that we feel when we move someplace new. While it seems to exist in some sort of alternative fantasy universe, perhaps not even on our same planet, its concept is one that is relateable to many people, especially people here at Ringling.
To those who don't speak the language of the new place they move, words and typography can seem like illegible and alien symbols, which is how the language of the world in The Arrival is represented. This kind of paradigm shift can be completely overwhelming to most people. It really portrays a sense of loneliness, and the overcoming of that loneliness.
I remember when I was first moving to Florida, I wasn't used to living in this state, I didn't know what the people were like here, and I also didn't know what the people were like here at the school. I realized quickly that the people here were also in the same boat and didn't know anyone here. We all came from different places, different parts of the world, but were all connected by a mutual interest in Art, and in my case Technology. This is similar to the way immigrants to a new world/country feel i think, coming here looking for opportunity, a new life, a better life. We were all very similar. As time moved on, cliques developed within our community which I feel is a lost opportunity. We are all so different, not just at Ringling but all over the world, and to contain yourself within groups that match your personal ideas, ideologies, aesthetics, etc. is a shame.
