"Distant Memories"
Digital Collage
Medium: Photoshop/GIMP 24 x 36 in. September 15th 2016 Exhibition Text
"Distant Memories" is a digital collage that I created in photoshop is an art piece which vastly reflects between my past life in the sunny beaches in California to the stressful breathtaking current life in Wisconsin. This is mainly based off more of a postmodernism type of feel and a little bit of photography on the side which creates a vivid dream like illusion which has alot a meaning towards what I’m trying to say. The art style I used in the background was pointillism in order to create a static background almost like something you see when there is no signal on a television. |
Planning
Inspiration
When I was deciding on what to do with this art project, I first decided to think of pop art and post modernism. With these art styles I took a small step and thought more into the subject. After I wrote my essay about me, I soon realized that these two were meant for this project and should move me closer to the final products with a mixture of vivid, and dark hues. I also thought of recreating these two art styles that have a blend of these two. Then I remembered a certain artist by the name of Andy Warhol. This artist had a huge impact on me when I was deciding to create this project. With his art, and my inspirations based off memories from my past in California, I soon took place and started this project. Andy Warhol Andy Warhol was an artist born on August 6, 1928 and passed away on February 22, 1987. He was well known for his pop art and post impressionism among his artwork. He inspired many people by his work and his loyal fans of his worked created a special organization called the Andy Warhol Foundation which can be founded here |
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Planning Sketches
During this part of the project, I had some minor troubles coming up with the meaning of my piece, with some help and guide nice I managed to sketch 3 planning sketches to help me along with my process. Sketch #1 was mainly based off my experiences from the past, I always wanted to do like the 2 sides of me type of thing to show what people how people see me from the outside, compared to how I feel in the inside almost as if I was a different person in general. Sketch #2 was originally going to be my final planning sketch and the final product of my project, but due to the lack of experience and the lack of time I had left of this project, I had no time to due this. But what it was going to be mainly based off Andy Warhol's pop art like the Marilyn art piece. Sketch #3 wasn't originally going to be the final product but compared to what I said in Sketch #2 it was now going to be the final product. This one was pretty difficult to explain at first but after a while I was comfortable. This was roughly explaining about the story I wrote about the memories of me and my grandfather in California. I remembered all the times I've spent with him when I was younger, and we later grew further apart when I went to Wisconsin, ever since he passed away a few months ago, I felt that we were always far away from each other and thus this is where I got the name "Distant Memories" |
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Process
Experimentation
Due to the lack of experience I had in photoshop. I had to be given a tutorial on how to use. I first started by getting used to where all the tools are at. Next I tried some of the filters out on the photo to see which one seems decent and which one doesn't, then I put my skill to the test by going into the Sample Pictures that are pre installed in every new windows computer and put them to the test. After 20 minutes of editing, cropping, and resizing. I soon came up with this sample photo showing how I got used to the tools. It's not perfect, but helps me get an understanding on how to use photoshop |
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Photos
The photos I have used during this project were taken by me. The beach photos were taken in Redondo Beach, California. This beach is the same exact beach I used to always go with my grandparents during the summer ever since I was little. I took these photos this year in July just for something to keep in my memories. Then when this project was announced I finally could use these. The pictures of me were supposed to help me determine what I wanted to look like. Like I said before the picture is fine but the grain in the picture is terrible. I took a few more just to get rid of it, but I couldn't. Just when I was about to give up, I soon took this to my advantage and gave my self a stone like texture to blend in with the static background. |
Process
During the process along the way I have started to work on a lot on filters to help me with my final product. So I took one of the pictures I had in my gallery and used it as my background. I really wanted to capture the vivid bright colors that California always had to I brighten the colors so the color would pop out a lot more better compared to what it was originally, then there was another filter that I could add on top of this to give out a much more grainy look on top of the vibrant feel which gives a static like texture which goes along my grainy stone picture really well. The picture I taken as well mixed in with the local coffee shop down the street. Then I grabbed my picture of me and grayscale it and placed it onto the art piece and then I added some final details into the piece which help lead me into my final product. |
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Meaning/Essay
As a 16 year old boy who grew up in the city of Milwaukee. I am always in my own world lost in my own thoughts. Ever since I was little I've always been into drawing things, especially the landscapes such as trees and vast plains. Most of them had always been quite sloppy or under appreciated. When I went into the 5th grade, the entire class picked on me for being "different". I felt so disappointed and lost some self esteem on my way as well. There was even a point in my life where I felt like I should stop drawing and give up. When I tried to fit in with the crowd I always get pushed down a lot and had no one to stand up for me. Since then, I've always became a shy person because of that. My grandfather always told me that I should always follow my goals, and my hobbies in life so I could continue on in the future. Honestly, I didn't know what he was trying to tell me.
In the beginning of 9th grade I met a friend who soon became one of the closest friends I have ever made in my life. He always loved to show me new things, and as well as make me try things that I originally didn't want to do. For the first time in my life, I've felt happy doing all the things I've done so far. All of this was an amazing breeze until that moment hit me which changed how I view my life. My grandfather who always believed in me passed away. Two weeks later after that happened my friends parents were killed leaving him in grief and caused him to move away. I never felt so down or sad in my life. I felt like everything that mattered to me which were my friends and family just disappeared in just a short time. Then after a while I remembered the things they were trying to tell me the entire time. I decided to take action in my life where I don't need to be shy anymore and pursue my talents. I crawled out of my empty shell and faced the real world one more time. This time I felt a lot more braver and a lot more stronger than ever before.
Overall, I'm a very talented, kind, brave, and optimistic person who views things a whole different perspective. The only flaw I see in myself is being shy but it's currently fading away slowly every day. I’ve always cared for my friends, and family because they are always there for me even when they are not exactly there.The things that I’ve always said that I couldn’t do were inside me all along. I always show strong feeling in my artwork which can alter my mood upon an art piece or even change how I view myself In general. All I care about in life now is to succeed and to keep moving one step at a time.
In the beginning of 9th grade I met a friend who soon became one of the closest friends I have ever made in my life. He always loved to show me new things, and as well as make me try things that I originally didn't want to do. For the first time in my life, I've felt happy doing all the things I've done so far. All of this was an amazing breeze until that moment hit me which changed how I view my life. My grandfather who always believed in me passed away. Two weeks later after that happened my friends parents were killed leaving him in grief and caused him to move away. I never felt so down or sad in my life. I felt like everything that mattered to me which were my friends and family just disappeared in just a short time. Then after a while I remembered the things they were trying to tell me the entire time. I decided to take action in my life where I don't need to be shy anymore and pursue my talents. I crawled out of my empty shell and faced the real world one more time. This time I felt a lot more braver and a lot more stronger than ever before.
Overall, I'm a very talented, kind, brave, and optimistic person who views things a whole different perspective. The only flaw I see in myself is being shy but it's currently fading away slowly every day. I’ve always cared for my friends, and family because they are always there for me even when they are not exactly there.The things that I’ve always said that I couldn’t do were inside me all along. I always show strong feeling in my artwork which can alter my mood upon an art piece or even change how I view myself In general. All I care about in life now is to succeed and to keep moving one step at a time.
Reflection
Overall throughout this project, I feel that I did a pretty decent job and should be pretty proud for something that I had little to no experience on. Even though it came out better than I expected. There were a lot of things that I still wanted to add and some things I wanted to fix. One of these things included the picture of me, there wasnt anything about how I looked or what pose I was doing, but it just seemed very grainy which caused me to change from my original sketch of my project. This is why my final product of my project is a lot grainy on "purpose" to give that static tv type of feeling almost as if it felt like my past felt like a blur or a blank space is what I'm trying to say in my project. Also when comparing this to Andy Warhol's work a lot of people might say that my piece is not based off Andy Warhol's work because its not pop art, then I ask them this "Did Andy Warhol only do pop art?" What this piece was mainly talking from was not his pop art but his post modernist artwork is what really makes this appear similar to his work.
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ACT Response Questions
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationships between your inspiration and its effect upon your artwork?
What I am mainly trying to say throughout this art project is the value of time. We all look back at at our younger self where we had all the love and innocence in the world, but as we continue to get older and older. We lose our innocence, and have a lot more responsibilities which cause a lot of stress to all of us.
What is the overall approach (pov) the author (from research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
I had always been interested in Andy Warhol's work ever since I was introduced to him in middle school. Over the years I grew more and more into his style and the way how he expresses his feelings through vivid hues and mass reproduction of his pictures which is called Pop Art.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
What I have discovered in the making of this piece was how I learned to take my past experience and place it directly onto the art piece where I moved, and changed the color in order to create my final piece.
What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The main theme I was aiming for during the making of this piece was mainly towards "Memories, Loss, and Distance from loved ones"
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I can mainly infer about Andy's Warhol's view upon postmodernism and pop art and how it can really bring you mood upon your artwork.
What I am mainly trying to say throughout this art project is the value of time. We all look back at at our younger self where we had all the love and innocence in the world, but as we continue to get older and older. We lose our innocence, and have a lot more responsibilities which cause a lot of stress to all of us.
What is the overall approach (pov) the author (from research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
I had always been interested in Andy Warhol's work ever since I was introduced to him in middle school. Over the years I grew more and more into his style and the way how he expresses his feelings through vivid hues and mass reproduction of his pictures which is called Pop Art.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
What I have discovered in the making of this piece was how I learned to take my past experience and place it directly onto the art piece where I moved, and changed the color in order to create my final piece.
What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The main theme I was aiming for during the making of this piece was mainly towards "Memories, Loss, and Distance from loved ones"
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I can mainly infer about Andy's Warhol's view upon postmodernism and pop art and how it can really bring you mood upon your artwork.
Citations
1. "Museum of Modern Art | MoMA." The Museum of Modern Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Sept. 2016.
2. "The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts." The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2016.
1. "Museum of Modern Art | MoMA." The Museum of Modern Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Sept. 2016.
2. "The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts." The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2016.