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| Exhibition poster © Reilly Stratton 2015 |
Above
Poster by graphic designer Reilly Stratton for an exhibition of student posters about
historic pencil sharpeners from the P.D. Whitson Collection. Department
of Art, University of Northern Iowa.
•••
Ginu Kamani, “Code Switching”
in Meri Nana-Ama Danquah, ed., Becoming American: Personal Essays by First
Generation Immigrant Women (New York: Hyperion, 2000), p. 99—
I grew up surrounded by big,
dark, animated eyes capable of conveying the greatest subtlety. Recently I was
reminded again of the exquisite power of Indian eyes during a Satyajit Ray
retrospective. As I watched his films, I realized what one of my biggest
confusions must have been as a young immigrant to the US—my American peers
appeared cold even when trying to be friendly. I depended so much on eyes to
magnify both silent and verbal transmissions, that communication with my
American peers often left me in a dissatisfied limbo. I had to adjust to a
different sort of communication, all talk and less than expressive glances.
