Meaning in the Abstract | A’ja Nauden
Postcards | Pioneer PBS
[{'start': '16.720', 'end': '22.320', 'text': 'My name is Asia Marie Nen. I am an'}, {'start': '19.279', 'end': '25.279', 'text': 'artist and a painter. Um, I dabble in'}, {'start': '22.320', 'end': '31.279', 'text': 'different mediums. So, acrylic, spray'}, {'start': '25.279', 'end': '31.279', 'text': 'paint, and um, texture paint. Look at me'}, {'start': '32.040', 'end': '38.480', 'text': 'go. I had been to um a art museum and'}, {'start': '35.760', 'end': '40.239', 'text': 'there was just this one line, this one'}, {'start': '38.480', 'end': '42.800', 'text': 'red line on a white canvas and I was'}, {'start': '40.239', 'end': '46.239', 'text': 'like, "Bro, this painting is selling for'}, {'start': '42.800', 'end': '48.960', 'text': "like 13K. It's just a line. Like, what"}, {'start': '46.239', 'end': '51.520', 'text': 'is this?" And one of the curators is'}, {'start': '48.960', 'end': '53.600', 'text': 'like, "No, that\'s more than just a line.'}, {'start': '51.520', 'end': '55.680', 'text': "Like, that's her story. That's her"}, {'start': '53.600', 'end': '58.399', 'text': 'life." And as I\'m reading the'}, {'start': '55.680', 'end': '60.399', 'text': 'description, I\'m like, "Wow, just one'}, {'start': '58.399', 'end': '63.199', 'text': 'line can mean so much." And that\'s how I'}, {'start': '60.399', 'end': '66.320', 'text': 'kind of took my art and was inspired to'}, {'start': '63.199', 'end': '68.640', 'text': 'create abstract art. I do abstract art a'}, {'start': '66.320', 'end': '70.479', 'text': 'lot, just because I feel like it has no'}, {'start': '68.640', 'end': '71.950', 'text': 'boundaries. I made sure through my art'}, {'start': '70.479', 'end': '73.320', 'text': 'that there were no'}, {'start': '71.950', 'end': '76.960', 'text': '[Music]'}, {'start': '73.320', 'end': '78.799', 'text': "boundaries. Let's start with your life."}, {'start': '76.960', 'end': '82.320', 'text': 'So, I grew up on the south side of'}, {'start': '78.799', 'end': '86.000', 'text': 'Chicago on 115th in Palaski. Growing up'}, {'start': '82.320', 'end': '88.200', 'text': 'was hard for me. It was kind of like a'}, {'start': '86.000', 'end': '91.040', 'text': 'rough childhood growing'}, {'start': '88.200', 'end': '92.720', 'text': 'up. Our parents were around and they'}, {'start': '91.040', 'end': '94.320', 'text': 'were very supportive, but they were'}, {'start': '92.720', 'end': '97.360', 'text': 'having their own battles and struggles,'}, {'start': '94.320', 'end': '99.759', 'text': "too. When I got to kindergarten, that's"}, {'start': '97.360', 'end': '101.439', 'text': 'when we moved from the inner city to the'}, {'start': '99.759', 'end': '105.320', 'text': "south suburbs cuz my parents didn't"}, {'start': '101.439', 'end': '105.320', 'text': 'think we were going to make it.'}, {'start': '107.840', 'end': '113.119', 'text': 'When I was in kindergarten, I entered my'}, {'start': '109.600', 'end': '116.000', 'text': 'first art show and I won. As I started'}, {'start': '113.119', 'end': '119.280', 'text': 'growing up and realized what my my'}, {'start': '116.000', 'end': '120.960', 'text': 'skills were, I just dove into them. I'}, {'start': '119.280', 'end': '125.560', 'text': 'used to sell little drawings and'}, {'start': '120.960', 'end': '129.440', 'text': 'paintings when I was like 10 or 12. But'}, {'start': '125.560', 'end': '131.680', 'text': 'people were very like shocked. I did'}, {'start': '129.440', 'end': '133.599', 'text': 'sports my entire life. So, I ran track'}, {'start': '131.680', 'end': '136.000', 'text': 'and I did volleyball, did basketball,'}, {'start': '133.599', 'end': '139.120', 'text': 'soccer. They saw me as an athlete, not'}, {'start': '136.000', 'end': '141.599', 'text': 'an artist. So, I struggled with knowing'}, {'start': '139.120', 'end': '143.120', 'text': 'how to be an artist and be an athlete'}, {'start': '141.599', 'end': '145.120', 'text': 'all at the same time instead of just'}, {'start': '143.120', 'end': '147.520', 'text': 'picking one or the other. So, I took a'}, {'start': '145.120', 'end': '149.920', 'text': 'lot of art classes, but I never felt'}, {'start': '147.520', 'end': '152.080', 'text': "comfortable in them because I felt I'm"}, {'start': '149.920', 'end': '154.080', 'text': "not an artist. And I kept denying I'm"}, {'start': '152.080', 'end': '157.480', 'text': "not an artist. I'm not a real one. Like,"}, {'start': '154.080', 'end': '161.680', 'text': "I'm no Picasso or I'm no Van Go, you"}, {'start': '157.480', 'end': '164.959', 'text': 'know? I I never felt like all of my work'}, {'start': '161.680', 'end': '167.599', 'text': 'was real until I kind of got to college.'}, {'start': '164.959', 'end': '169.920', 'text': 'I made um a piece for one of my'}, {'start': '167.599', 'end': '171.280', 'text': 'roommates, her dad. He bought it for his'}, {'start': '169.920', 'end': '174.160', 'text': 'birthday. And I thought that was super'}, {'start': '171.280', 'end': '177.720', 'text': 'cool. And something in me was like, "No,'}, {'start': '174.160', 'end': '177.720', 'text': 'you can do this."'}, {'start': '180.040', 'end': '186.640', 'text': '[Music]'}, {'start': '183.920', 'end': '190.319', 'text': 'So, my experience moving from Chicago to'}, {'start': '186.640', 'end': '192.159', 'text': 'Minnesota was tough. Um I never thought'}, {'start': '190.319', 'end': '194.360', 'text': 'in a million years this is where I would'}, {'start': '192.159', 'end': '196.720', 'text': 'move. I ended up working in a hospital'}, {'start': '194.360', 'end': '198.640', 'text': 'that, you know, it was nice at first,'}, {'start': '196.720', 'end': '200.720', 'text': "but I just knew that's not why I moved"}, {'start': '198.640', 'end': '203.440', 'text': 'here. And I started to open up to people'}, {'start': '200.720', 'end': '205.840', 'text': 'more and here I am today. And it feels'}, {'start': '203.440', 'end': '207.440', 'text': 'it feels good now. Oh, okay. Tell me'}, {'start': '205.840', 'end': '208.959', 'text': 'about the painting behind you. What does'}, {'start': '207.440', 'end': '210.879', 'text': 'that mean? Hold on. I got to look at it'}, {'start': '208.959', 'end': '214.480', 'text': 'again.'}, {'start': '210.879', 'end': '216.640', 'text': 'Okay. Yeah. So, that painting was kind'}, {'start': '214.480', 'end': '219.280', 'text': 'of one of the first ones I did when I'}, {'start': '216.640', 'end': '222.319', 'text': 'got here to Minnesota. And to me, it'}, {'start': '219.280', 'end': '224.080', 'text': 'expressed my confusion of whether me'}, {'start': '222.319', 'end': '226.080', 'text': 'really liking it here or me really'}, {'start': '224.080', 'end': '229.120', 'text': 'hating it here. And with the colors that'}, {'start': '226.080', 'end': '230.799', 'text': 'I chose, rounds is for now one of my'}, {'start': '229.120', 'end': '235.360', 'text': 'favorite colors. And I feel like it has'}, {'start': '230.799', 'end': '237.920', 'text': 'become my staple in who I am and my own'}, {'start': '235.360', 'end': '240.959', 'text': 'um representation of myself, me being a'}, {'start': '237.920', 'end': '242.879', 'text': 'little brown girl. And I just really'}, {'start': '240.959', 'end': '245.360', 'text': "just used my hands. I didn't use any"}, {'start': '242.879', 'end': '247.599', 'text': 'paint brushes for that. I used my hands'}, {'start': '245.360', 'end': '250.080', 'text': 'cuz I really wanted it to be authentic.'}, {'start': '247.599', 'end': '252.400', 'text': 'And with my hands, I was like, well,'}, {'start': '250.080', 'end': '255.120', 'text': 'what story do I want to tell? I want to'}, {'start': '252.400', 'end': '257.519', 'text': 'tell my story of how I started. When you'}, {'start': '255.120', 'end': '260.000', 'text': "do look at it, it's like you can see a"}, {'start': '257.519', 'end': '262.079', 'text': 'whole bunch of things, but if you look'}, {'start': '260.000', 'end': '264.400', 'text': 'closely, you can see flowers like where'}, {'start': '262.079', 'end': '267.520', 'text': 'I did my thumb prints, you can see'}, {'start': '264.400', 'end': '269.840', 'text': 'different um images of however your eyes'}, {'start': '267.520', 'end': '273.520', 'text': 'see. So to me, when people look at that'}, {'start': '269.840', 'end': '276.960', 'text': 'painting, they see me. So this is one of'}, {'start': '273.520', 'end': '279.960', 'text': 'my paintings. Um, I call this one the'}, {'start': '276.960', 'end': '284.040', 'text': 'golden child. So, these are my'}, {'start': '279.960', 'end': '287.600', 'text': 'handprints. And each one represents my'}, {'start': '284.040', 'end': '289.720', 'text': "past, my present, and my future. Asia's"}, {'start': '287.600', 'end': '292.560', 'text': 'corner. I made this one here in'}, {'start': '289.720', 'end': '294.400', 'text': 'Minnesota. This is probably the most'}, {'start': '292.560', 'end': '295.000', 'text': 'perfect representation of how I feel on'}, {'start': '294.400', 'end': '297.120', 'text': 'the'}, {'start': '295.000', 'end': '299.840', 'text': 'inside. And then this is another one of'}, {'start': '297.120', 'end': '301.360', 'text': 'my painting. I call it Smack Talk. Me'}, {'start': '299.840', 'end': '305.400', 'text': 'and my sister made this one on our'}, {'start': '301.360', 'end': '307.759', 'text': 'little sister date. This one I made in'}, {'start': '305.400', 'end': '310.600', 'text': 'Chicago. Um, I think this one is like'}, {'start': '307.759', 'end': '314.639', 'text': "one of my favorites. It's called Dancing"}, {'start': '310.600', 'end': '316.160', 'text': "Soul and my Oh, it's upside down. Do you"}, {'start': '314.639', 'end': '317.759', 'text': 'want to talk about your love for dancing'}, {'start': '316.160', 'end': '322.160', 'text': "at all? Oh, sure. I'll take it a little"}, {'start': '317.759', 'end': '323.880', 'text': 'bit. So, um, I was a little dancer back'}, {'start': '322.160', 'end': '326.560', 'text': 'in'}, {'start': '323.880', 'end': '329.120', 'text': 'Chicago. I found it as a passion though.'}, {'start': '326.560', 'end': '331.199', 'text': 'Like, it really helped me express myself'}, {'start': '329.120', 'end': '333.120', 'text': 'in a different way, too. like I learned'}, {'start': '331.199', 'end': '335.479', 'text': 'a lot of new things, not even just like'}, {'start': '333.120', 'end': '337.680', 'text': 'physically, but emotionally and'}, {'start': '335.479', 'end': '339.600', 'text': 'spiritually. I felt like I got to'}, {'start': '337.680', 'end': '342.919', 'text': 'express myself in a way where not a lot'}, {'start': '339.600', 'end': '346.000', 'text': 'of people really see it as like'}, {'start': '342.919', 'end': '348.000', 'text': 'appropriate. But um it made me feel good'}, {'start': '346.000', 'end': '351.840', 'text': 'as a woman. It really did. It made me'}, {'start': '348.000', 'end': '354.400', 'text': 'feel like dancing is a part of who I am.'}, {'start': '351.840', 'end': '356.560', 'text': 'To me, it was art. I felt like even'}, {'start': '354.400', 'end': '360.240', 'text': 'though it may not be on a paintbrush or'}, {'start': '356.560', 'end': '362.160', 'text': 'a canvas, it felt like a real art, it'}, {'start': '360.240', 'end': '364.160', 'text': 'felt like this is something I can'}, {'start': '362.160', 'end': '365.520', 'text': "express myself with and there's no"}, {'start': '364.160', 'end': '377.990', 'text': 'rules.'}, {'start': '365.520', 'end': '377.990', 'text': '[Music]'}, {'start': '378.160', 'end': '387.039', 'text': 'Um I think not I think no I know art has'}, {'start': '384.160', 'end': '390.160', 'text': 'really opened me to a lot of avenues'}, {'start': '387.039', 'end': '392.240', 'text': 'where it has allowed me to be'}, {'start': '390.160', 'end': '394.080', 'text': 'comfortable in who I am. I never was'}, {'start': '392.240', 'end': '396.880', 'text': 'confident or comfortable. I always felt'}, {'start': '394.080', 'end': '398.639', 'text': 'like I had to be somebody else or I had'}, {'start': '396.880', 'end': '401.039', 'text': 'to be like somebody else to feel'}, {'start': '398.639', 'end': '404.560', 'text': 'accepted. So with art you can do what'}, {'start': '401.039', 'end': '406.479', 'text': 'you want. Like there is no rules. Like'}, {'start': '404.560', 'end': '409.680', 'text': 'you can if I want to splatter on the'}, {'start': '406.479', 'end': '411.039', 'text': "canvas, I can just and that's it. Like I"}, {'start': '409.680', 'end': '414.240', 'text': "don't have to add anything else if I"}, {'start': '411.039', 'end': '415.479', 'text': "don't want to. And to me, art is fun."}, {'start': '414.240', 'end': '418.240', 'text': "It's"}, {'start': '415.479', 'end': '421.599', 'text': "not hard. It's not hard as people make"}, {'start': '418.240', 'end': '423.919', 'text': "it seem. You know, you don't have to be"}, {'start': '421.599', 'end': '426.280', 'text': 'anybody spectacular to create art. You'}, {'start': '423.919', 'end': '428.720', 'text': 'could just be'}, {'start': '426.280', 'end': '430.960', 'text': 'normal. My advice to people out there in'}, {'start': '428.720', 'end': '432.639', 'text': "the world, take the chance. You'll never"}, {'start': '430.960', 'end': '434.400', 'text': 'know what happened. And if it happens,'}, {'start': '432.639', 'end': '439.160', 'text': "it happens. If it doesn't, it was never"}, {'start': '434.400', 'end': '439.160', 'text': 'meant to be. So, yeah.'}, {'start': '443.320', 'end': '448.589', 'text': '[Music]'}, {'start': '459.850', 'end': '463.669', 'text': '[Music]'}, {'start': '467.810', 'end': '476.290', 'text': '[Music]'}, {'start': '476.400', 'end': '480.080', 'text': 'Postcards is made possible by the'}, {'start': '478.160', 'end': '482.800', 'text': 'Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage'}, {'start': '480.080', 'end': '485.520', 'text': 'Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.'}, {'start': '482.800', 'end': '486.919', 'text': 'Additional support provided by Margaret'}, {'start': '485.520', 'end': '488.720', 'text': 'A. Cargill'}, {'start': '486.919', 'end': '490.879', 'text': 'Philanthropies, Mark and Margaret'}, {'start': '488.720', 'end': '492.879', 'text': 'Jakeel, Julene on behalf of Shalom Hill'}, {'start': '490.879', 'end': '494.680', 'text': 'Farms, a retreat and conference center'}, {'start': '492.879', 'end': '498.400', 'text': 'in a prairie setting near Windham,'}, {'start': '494.680', 'end': '498.400', 'text': 'Minnesota. On the web at'}, {'start': '498.919', 'end': '503.199', 'text': 'shalommhillfarm.org. Alexandria,'}, {'start': '500.800', 'end': '505.039', 'text': 'Minnesota, a yearround destination with'}, {'start': '503.199', 'end': '507.400', 'text': 'hundreds of lakes, trails, and'}, {'start': '505.039', 'end': '511.080', 'text': 'attractions for memorable vacations and'}, {'start': '507.400', 'end': '513.599', 'text': 'events. More information at'}, {'start': '511.080', 'end': '516.000', 'text': 'exploralex.com. A better future starts'}, {'start': '513.599', 'end': '518.560', 'text': 'now. West Central initiative empowers'}, {'start': '516.000', 'end': '521.279', 'text': 'communities with resources, funding, and'}, {'start': '518.560', 'end': '524.279', 'text': 'support for a thriving region. More at'}, {'start': '521.279', 'end': '524.279', 'text': 'wcif.org.'}, {'start': '529.670', 'end': '553.130', 'text': '[Music]'}]