Final Project Artist Statement

For my final project, I chose death as my big idea. Instead of focusing on the many forms of death, I decided to illustrate death as an ever present being inside each one of us. I was very influenced by this image:

This image depicts death as almost universal, and I believe that it is. It is present somewhere inside each one of us and waits for the right moment to show itself. I liked the transparency of death because it gives the feeling that death is both present and absent at the same time. In my two images, I use this transparency to show death.

In my images, I try to show the different sides of death. In one of them, death is almost like a predator that can only be seen in the reflection, waiting inside its prey until the time is right. In the other image, I try to show death as a universal entity, as the person is only silhouetted and his identity can only be seen in the reflection. The different illustrations of death can also be seen in the colors of the images. The black and white reflection in the first image is largely inspired by Gustave Dore's works. I used the water reflection technique in both of my images.

Blog 4

My big idea for the final project is the same as for my midterm: death. I plan to continue exploring the many forms of death while focusing on changing the connotations of the images. I want to change the way people perceive certain forms of death, as there are both good and evil versions. To do this, I will use a water reflection technique in PhotoShop to display a good image of death into an evil form and vice versa. This project should communicate the meaning that death is not always good or bad. It should be perceived as an ever changing material.

Interestingly, the idea of reflection came to me when I saw Harry Potter and the scene with the Mirror of Erised came up. I'm also influenced by Gustave Dore's work on the forms of death and the anime series Death Note. To further research this idea, I will look at different forms of death by Gustave Dore and also look at how reflection is incorporated into artwork in general.



The PhotoShop technique that I will incorporate is the water reflection technique.

Quiz 4 Description

The first poster is from the movie Mean Girls. The targeted audience for this movie is teenage girls. The poster has a genrally girlish feel created by the dominant pink and purple. Also, the fact that there are only girls in this image creates a strong sense of feminism. Their poses and clothing gives the impression that they are popular girls which caters to the audience who wants to be like them. I changed the poster to make the male characters more dominant and target teenage males.
The second poster is from the movie S.W.A.T. The targeted audience for this movie is teenage males. The military clothing and weapons create a feeling of violence, something young males like. Also, the smoke and helicopter in the background makes it look like there is a war going on, which caters to young males as well. The main colors, black and brown, give a taste of the dirt in war.

Midterm Images

Blog Assignment 2

Inspirational Artists

Miron Zownir: This artists appeals to me mainly due to the dark nature in his photographs. His big idea seems to be on suffering, which relates to death because many aspects of death deal with suffering. More importantly, all of his images are in black and white, which to me contributes to darkness and fear. What intrigues me is the question of why Zownir chose to so all his images in black and white. I am liking this style a lot and may incorporate it into my final project.




http://www.mironzownir.com/


Gustave Doré: The main reason I like this artist is because he personalizes death. His big idea is the same as mine: death, and his objective is to make death life-like. He paints death in many shapes and sizes and like zownir uses black and white. I am curious about the many forms of death, and Doré has given me many new ideas to branch from. 

http://dore.artpassions.net/

Midterm Artist Statement

My big idea is death. Specifically, I chose to explore the many forms of death. So what is death? Some say it's a living, breathing being. Others say it is just a spirit, a soul. Yet there are those who claim that death is simply an obstacle in the eternal path we must all take. I believe that death is all of the above. Through my research into the big ideas, death seemed to me to be the most diverse. By looking at Gustave Dore's work and the way he portrays many forms of death, I decided that I would try to manipulate death's many forms. I have explored the relationship between life and death and have tried to form a picture of it. Death, however, is impossible to summarize with just one picture and requires multiple interpretations. Therefore, I wanted to portray death as being both good and bad. I took a good image of death, the angel, and turned it evil. I also turned an evil image of death, the reaper, and made it more pleasant. The visual cues that I use to portray death include the contrast between living things and dead ones, darkness, skulls, and fear. The idea of death is important to me because it is one of the most feared subjects. No one has experienced it and lived to tell the tale, yet we all wonder what death is like. I hope to portray my own interpretation of death through my research.

Big Idea

My big idea is life/death. This theme is important to me because I have had close relatives pass away. I've always wondered what it would feel like to die and the concept allows me to put my perspective into art. I believe that life and death are inseparable and so will be mixed together. The visual aspect of this idea will revolve around a mysterious atmosphere, where one flirts with the line between the two worlds. Exploring the big idea will allow me to understand more about my role in the world.

Big Idea Warmup

Life/death - Life and death are mysterious. We don't know what we want when we're living, and we don't know where we'll go when we die. The concept is often intimidating to people because of the uncertainty surrounding death. We don't know enough about it because no one's been able to come back from death to tell a story.

Fashion - Fashion defines an individual. It puts personality into a person. Nothing gives a first impression like the way a person's wardrobe does. Depending on the way a person dresses, one can tell if that individual is bright, moody, depressed, confident, lazy, etc. Money is also a big factor, and some people who want to dress a certain way do not have the luxury of being able to afford everything.

Food - Food is a necessity in life, but also a luxury. It provides the most basic forms of energy while also satisfying our cravings. Oftentimes, the highlight of a person's day is a well prepared meal at a nice restaurant. Different types of food come from different cultures, and the variety adds flavor to life. Some of the weirdest foods come from experimentation, and it is this experimentation that yields the best results.

Robert Capa

Robert Capa was a famous Hungarian photographer who portrayed the violence of combat and the cruelty of war. He covered five wars: The Spanish Civil War, The Second Sino-Japanese War, World War II, The 1948 Arab-IsraeliWar, and the First Indochina War. His works provided a unique angle on the impact of the wars and highlighted the line between what was right and wrong.



Denotation: The picture shows two soldiers taking cover on the battlefield. The older soldier is taking point while the younger soldier looks to follow the lead. It appears that the older soldier is dressed up in a uniform while the younger is wearing casual clothing. The right hand of the front soldier is carefully placed on the cover.

Connotation: The central meaning behind this photo is clear: wars are dangerous. The soldiers' stressed expressions and careful positioning creates a tense atmosphere, and the right hand placed on the rock emphasizes the caution. Another emphasis falls on the different levels and classes in the military. The older, more experienced soldier clearly has better gear. The imbalance especially points out the necessary yet unfair treatment of recruits. The angle of the photograph also creates an uncertainty as to what is behind the giant wall of rock. The uncertainty certainly carries over to summarize the surroundings of wars in general.

http://www.pbs.org/weta/reportingamericaatwar/reporters/capa/photo1.html



Denotation: An old man is pointing out directions for a younger soldier. The two are in a battlefield, but there does not seem to be immediate danger lurking around. The old man is dressed in shaggy clothing and carrying a long stick while the soldier is wearing military apparel.

Connotation: The photo displays a more peaceful yet still shattered situation. The background itself provides an atmosphere of death and decay. The soldier, however, symbolizes hope in desperate times. He is the hero,  the savior, the light at the end of the tunnel. The old man's help highlights the cooperation between the thankful citizens and the military during times of war.

http://jozefpronek.livejournal.com/tag/mafia

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