final draft Drug Addiction exhibit

Piece #1

We have a cartoon of a skeleton sitting in a desert surrounded by bottles and syringes holding a sign. The skeleton is in a seated position centered in the middle of the frame . The Arm bones are rested on the arched legs. A syringe is held in the left hand, while the right hand holds a sign. Written on this torn cardboard sign is "HELP!" There is a noticeable void where the brain from the skull should be. Laying in the sand next to skeleton lays six more syringes, two empty vodka bottles and a half buried glass. The sand makes up most of background done in a very dark yellow it is the same color as the sun at top of frame. Sun is surrounded by blue skies with two scattered clouds.

“Skeleton in the Desert”  A cartoon by Alexi Talumonov; A Cardstock.com publication. -May 2011 - turn this info into actual sentences and use it to introduce your piece. What else do you know about this artist and why he did a piece like this?

I see the clouds in the sky as storm clouds yet they give no protection from the scorching sun. I think the contrast of the HELP sign and syringe show the gripping hold addiction can have on an addict. Addiction is such that you can be in the midst of getting high and still be wanting help (wonderfully written insight). (I also can see that maybe-get rid of this intro clause and jump into your analysis. don't doubt your interpretation because it is yours! can't be wrong) the color of the sand matching the color of the sun is a reflection of how addiction leads to being burnt. “Might as well be walking on the sun”. Sadly many addicts do not hold signs or ever say ‘help’. They tend to die or become institutionalized for drug related crimes. I think mentioning something about it being a skeleton is important.

Piece #2

This image is a parody cartoon of E.T.  We see him standing holding a broken beer bottle in his left hand while giving the middle finger with his right hand. E.T. has wild blood shot eyes that are  narrowed in an angry way. The body of E.T. is covered in sores including one on left side of head and neck, left forearm, right shoulder and elbow. His right finger is not just glowing but a flame. A tattered white tank top is worn and place of pants area has been intentionally blurred. On the ground by his feet appears to be a some type of candy. E.T. is centered on a white t-shirt Overhead reads m.E.T.h. This is a image I found on www.etsy.com- same here, try and find a bit more on the artist or you can acknowledge you aren't sure of who the artist is.   

E.T. is a well loved icon from childhood with a peaceful and loving demeanor. In this rendering we see a crazed eyed sore ridden E.T. Using his ‘healing glowing’ finger to flip someone the bird. We also see he no longer picks up the recess pieces he has them scattered around him.  The accidental beer can has turned into a purposefully broken bottle. Possibly to be used as a weapon. In this satirical cartoon on a beloved icon, I think it shows how addicts were once loving innocent beings and still are but are consumed with the addiction.- YESSSS keep going with this final thought. ... Also, you want to mention the specific drug that this cartoon is drawing attention to. Based on your description and the "m.E.T.h" text, it seems that these specific physical conditions are a consequence of addiction- is this type of addiction? Is the middle finger, an angry gesture as you describe it, another consequence of this drug-  feeling angry or not caring about....    I think here are some other places to draw out more info  

Piece # 3 

“Prison Song” is a song by the rock band System of a Down. First released as an airplay only single, Prison Song is found on band's second studio album Toxicity, released on September 4.2001. The lyrics of this piece were co-written by band mates Serj Tankian and Daron Malakian with Malakian writing the music. In the year of Toxicity’s release, album hit the # 1 spot on Billboard 200.

System of a Down SOAD for short, is a four member ‘Nu-Metal/ hard rock’ band. SOAD consists of Serj Tankian, Daron Malakian, Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan. Formed out of Glendale California around 1994, all members are Armenian-Americans. Prison song was written about America's ‘War on Drugs.’

- this is a good musician description- to the point and informative

This songs lyrics express that the prisons of America are filled by minor drug offenders. Prisons that the prisoners themseleves most likely bulit.IT goes on to illustrate that …..”all our tax paying…… go to fight the new non-rich ( prisoners/parolees). Expressing that research shows that treatment not increased sentences is the way to battle the war on drug addiction.

Here is a good outline to help you summarize and analyze your song

Summary

1. musician- you got this part already and you provided good information
2. song- okay, here you can break down some key items to help us understand the song based on the lyrics alone. Here you in a sense want to TRANSLATE the lyrics into complete sentences.
1. Verses (how many are there? translate each verse into a summary like sentence or short paragraph)
2. Hook- what is the hook saying?
3. Bridge- is there a bridge part or any other piece that you can translate?

Analysis

Here you can tell us how the verses and hook mean ...... (include your interpretation here)