Self-Visualization

This project seemed difficult when I first heard it because I could not think of a way to describe myself in three pictures. When I think about myself, I am overwhelmed with characteristics that I could use to describe myself. I have a lot of different groups of friends of family that I love to spend time with, but sometimes I feel as though I spread myself too thin amongst all of the people and activities I am involved with. I think I live a very hectic life with every moment planned, but I enjoy it that way. Relaxation is important, but too much is just plain boring. I’m always moving, even during Spring Break I managed to pick up 49 hours at the restaurant I work at. I love to be busy, to spend time with everyone, but most days when I finish my work at around 11pm, I’m too exhausted even to sleep. Sometimes I feel guilty for taking time away from my family and boyfriend, but I always seem to tell myself it will get better, maybe during spring break or summer but sure enough, it never does.
I’ve always been fascinated with close-ups because they tell part of he story, but the viewer can never truly understand the whole without looking at everything. I think I want to incorporate this concept into my Self-Visualization project. I will take a lot of close-ups of my body and alter them in Photoshop and Illustrator, then place them like tiles in a large frame. By looking at the small individual pieces, the viewer might not know who or what the figure is. I was thinking of taking this idea even further and arranging the small tiles to make a larger image or symbol, but I’m not sure if this is appropriate for me. I think the random pieces of me arranged next to one another represent me better because I am always in different places thinking about other things.

Illustrator Image for Project 1

This is my final illustrator image. Working with illustrator was difficult for me because I do not have much experience with the program, but I think I was successful. I changed the mood of the photograph with green water and added a peacock for contrast.

Photoshop for Project 1

This is my final photoshop image. I am really happy with the outcome because it is similar to how I had imagined it. I liked the photo to begin with, so I did not want to change the beauty of it. The colors became more dull when I posted it on the web, so in print the image seems brighter.

Cui Xiuwen, CIndy Sherman, and Frida Kahlo

The art of Cui Xiuwen was very inspiring to me because she focused on the female body and women’s issues. When looking through her works, I was impressed with the variety that still produced something that appeared to be a series. All of her photographs told different stories and brought up different issues, but some uniting force like a white dress or the color red tied them all together. The simple choice of colors adds to the meaning of the photographs; black, white, red, and blue help portray the scene of abuse and later, lonesomeness. Digital Art is a difficult medium because sometimes a photo looks either too real or too reconstructed. I think Cui Xiuwen creates a perfect balance in her photos because they are done skillfully and transition well from digital art to reality. 

When viewing the photographs of Cindy Sherman, there is a wide range of reactions I get from different collections. Some bring nostalgia, others a sense of glamour, and a number of the photos arise a feeling of fear and disgust. I can definitely see the importance of these gruesome photos because they raise emotion and bring your attention to issues, but I particularly enjoy the Untitled Film Still series. Black and white high contrast film photography has been so mass-produced lately, it seems as though anyone with a digital camera and a computer can do it. Sherman’s works appear to be beautiful and seem to resemble a model photo shoot, but her facial expressions tell a different story. The way she looks at the camera reveals something different; in all of these shots, the main figure seems to be hiding something from the camera lens. You can see it in her eyes that there is something else going on in the scene and this is what makes the photograph interesting. 

Frida Kahlo’s self portraits focus on point of view. She painted herself the way she envisioned, unlike the idealized self-portraits that are so common in our culture. When viewing her artwork, it reminds me of the magical realism present in the novel “Like Water for Chocolate,” because it has a strong presence of Mexican and Native American cultures. The bright colors and almost magical scenes create something beyond reality that is still comprehendible. Kahlo uses these elements to reveal a masculine image of herself that she feels is stronger than the feminine. I enjoy the works of Frida Kahlo because she breaks the boundary of perfection and femininity present in culture.