I have an Idea

I was looking through some images today and I found this image. I think I am going to use for my main inspiration for my collage project. I really like the visual appeal it has, and to me that is extremely important but I also like its message. To me it shows how our whole world is interconnected by data links whether that is through the internet, cable, radio or some other means. I also found another image that further shows that because of this we as humans have lost our unique identity and have become numbers.

Not so Fav Collage examples

Fav collage examples

Collage - Intro

We started discussing our collage project today and it was quite interesting. I will admit that I have mixed feelings about this project, on one hand I feel that I have a better grasp of the programs needed to edit the photos but on the other hand I feel that this project is going to require me to put more meaning into the piece. I have a hard time with the concept of having to infuse meaning into every work of art. Our teacher discussed how collage is a very old art form that reflects the views of the artist. With me I am more drawn to the visual appeal of a piece and not so much to the meaning, in a nut shell if it looks cool to me I like it and it does not go much farther than that. Some of the piece that our teacher showed us were kind of silly looking or even down right ugly. I suppose that as I try to understand their meaning I will better appreciate them for what they are. I feel that I am going to really struggle creating something with meaning instead of just something that I feel looks good. I mean what can I say I really like to have fun in photoshop! Ill post some of my fav and less fav collage examples that our teacher showed us tomorrow.

Self Portrait - Meaning

I think the obvious theme of my piece is balance, or a desire to have two apposing or contrasting things meet and support each other. One of the defining elements of my piece is the general pyramid shape, just as two apposing walls leaning against each other and give each other support and strength so should technology and nature combine to do the same. The angles formed by my body and the angles that the mountain face and the computer chip makes produces this idea of stability. The whole image from body form to backgrounds produces the feeling of balance between two different worlds, on one side is electricity on the other tranquility, nature vs technology, yet there is a knife edge balance and at any moment this balance could collapse and that is why my eyes are open. I am searching to make sure that I keep things the way they need to be, and off in the distance I chose to put a background of what appears to be a storm. This was to suggest to the mind that the nature part of the balance is about to be encompass in a raging storm and chaos may ensue. The name of the piece comes from my feeling that eventually we all must come to a realization of where we stand on the divide between nature and the ever advancing wave of “stuff” the future is bringing. As the words on my shirt say “seen the future” each viewer much decide if what is portrayed as the future on the viewers right is good or bad and then decided what they are going to do about that.

Self Portrait - Done!

Well I finished my first photoshop project today. I really enjoyed working on this piece, it was hard and I really had to rush at the end but it all worked out. As I worked on it different elements came together almost on their own. For instance the pyramid shape that the mountains and computer chip form was something that I wanted but could not figure out how to do. As I was playing around with it I hid a layer and as a result noticed that the mountain and chip layer came together perfectly. Another thing that seemed to work perfectly that I did not plan was the word on my shirt. On the viewers right side on my shirt are the words "seen the future" which work really well with the whole future computer chip theme. Putting the finishing touches on the project were also rather fidgety, mostly because I did not have very much experience with photo shop.