Final Draft Complete!
Some questions I’d love answered:
- Does the meaning come across to you easily as a viewer?
- What is your favorite aspect of my project? Least favorite?
- Do you think the images have been well implemented? Do you have any tips for implementing them more effectively?
Artist statement:
The composite I created for the ‘Tropisms’ project of DIG2131C — Digital Imaging revolves around the simultaneous desire and aversion towards digital entertainment. I have struggled with both attention deficits and an increasing addiction to digital entertainment for much of my life. From an early age I became increasingly unable to focus on work for significant periods of time. I felt most comfortable when I could distract myself with the flashing screens of video games, social media, movies and anime. This left me feeling lesser than those around me as I often could not seem to clearly keep track of everything around me. In this piece, I aim to present what it feels like to me to be addicted to the same digital overload of distractions and information that I acknowledge is detrimental to my mind.
The figure in my piece is fully in control of their attachment to technology, yet this is contrasted by the bright lights originating from the many screens and the overwhelming mess of wires surrounding them. I chose to depict older technology in my piece to tie into my own memories as a child growing up with similar technology, as well as to portray the idea that the progression of technology itself is not harmful. Rather, the way in which that technology is used can be truly harmful. An effect of media addiction is presented by the dark moody lighting around my figure, showing they are up late at night, sacrificing their sleep. This may be for the delight of entertainment or to distract them from racing thoughts when falling asleep.
I composited 8 original images and 7 images gathered from various internet sources and altered them in Adobe Photoshop to create my piece. To craft my original images I gathered photographs of various distracting media on my computer before importing these photographs into Procreate. I then used a technique that is central to my art process in which I use the ‘fill’ tool and its threshold to alter the image. Layering this process over and over again compresses the image into a mess of colors and pixelated patterns. Due to the nature of this project I needed the photographs to still be identifiable. Therefore, I layered only as much as I needed to in order to convey the brain ‘fog’ experience with visual/mental overstimulation.
