Final Tides
Size: 53.34cm by53.34cm
Digital collage October, 2017 Exhibition text: Final tides was created to show the impact that humans had on their environment through a series of photos showing the deterioration of the coral reef. Final tides is a digital collage inspired by Andy Warhol's Marilyn Monroe Series and the deterioration of the coral reef. |
Inspiration
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Inspiration photos
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My inspiration for this project was Andy Warhol's Marilyn Monroe Series, 1967 and the coral reef. I was inspired by the way that Warhol used the same picture and just changed the color in each picture to make them different. I was also inspired by what we are learning in science class. In science class we have been talking about the effects of pollution on the environment specifically. I have became very inspired by the deterioration of the coral reef. I wanted to resemble this through a digital collage in a similar manner to what Warhol did to the “Marilyn Monroe Series”.
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Planning
My overall plan was to take different pictures of the coral reef and combined them to make my own picture. From that point i when in two different directions.
I felt that this connected to the message better than the first Idea about the design of the first Idea had a stronger connection to the inspiration. For my project I went with the first sketch.
Photos Used to Create the Collage
Process / Experimentation Photos
I started off this project by finding inspiration. This inspiration would help me pull together my idea of showing the deterioration of the coral reef. I landed on a remake of Warhol, from I did more research to find more inspiration. This led me to create the two different planning sketches. After planning out what I want my final product to be I started to collect the photos I wanted to use. I then opened a new file in photoshop. I started by playing around with the different sizes that I could use. I landed on 7 inch by 7 inch. I felt this not only would work best for my idea but I was similar dimensions that Warhol would use if he worked on a small scale. I made every variation of this picture the same size so once it's together I would be bigger. I started by making the first square. I took me some practice to understand the tools again. I pulled four different photos of coral reef. I took pieces from each to create my reef. I have to feather and smooth the edges of each to make them blend naturally together. I then layered each picture to create the final image. I struggled layering because I had white space that needed to be filled. Some of the images I used had empty spaces in the center. I had to layer each piece in the right way to show each piece and creating contrast between the colors. I realized that I had everything places but the background was still white. I then found a ombra blue that I used for the ocean. I saved the photo because I wanted to use that as my start photo. I then keeped using the same picture and played with the different properties of the photos. The three properties that I played with the most the hue, color saturation, lightness. After making the third picture I realized that the combinations I was making was making started to look the same. I then started playing with the Exposure, gamma correction and the offset of the picture to create different looks. I tried my hardest to make the pictures look similar to the way andy Warhol painted his pictures. Form there i created a new document in Photoshop. I made the size 21 inches by 21 inches i then took the 9 pictures that I had edited and changes and placed them side by side creating my final product. I wanted this to showcase the death of the coral reef. I then played with the different order other the pictures. While changing the many colors in the pictures I found I hard to stay connected to the inspiration and the story I wanted to tell through my work.
Compare & contrasts
Comparing my work to the inspiration there were many differences. The pictures used in the final photos were not the same. I used an underwater scene while Andy Warhol used a person. I created different dimensions making it more square while Warhol made a rectangular picture. Warhol changed the saturation in all the colors he used. I changed only the saturation of the blue and green colors in the picture. Warhol's work and my work are similar in the set up the use of repetitiveness photos.
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Reflection
Overall this project when really well but as each project it had its challenges. This project had a deep connection to the information that I was learning in environmental class. I found it hard to find the photos that would work best to create my ideas. I originally wanted to use photos that I took to make the collage, It did not work out that way because what I imagined did not mix well to make the collage. Something that I think I can do better in for this project is cleaning up the edges of the different pieces. There are some places in the coral that don't mix well. I also was sloppy when moving the pictures to make the final picture. It would have turned out better if I did larger changed between the pictures. After going back I realized that the first picture was not lined up with the others creating a very small gap that is not seen with the other pictures. Overall I really like this piece and think that is strongly does connect to my inspiration but it also connects to the meaning behind it.
ACT connection
- The inspiration affected my artwork through the different lay out ideas and thought the idea of repetition of the same photo with different color edits making them all the same but different at the same time.
- My artist inspiration, inspired my to try to tell a story through the use of repetitiveness with the change of colors in the form of a digital collage.
- When researching my inspiration I came to the conclusion that Andy Warhol created his images to tell a story about the many things affecting society.
- The central theme around my inspiration was to find a way to convey the sad story of how human affect is killing our coral reef that it benign killed and destroyed everyday.
- The inferences that were made when reading my research was that Andy Warhol used repetition and color to create emotion and to convey a feeling in the viewers.
Bibliography
http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/780600/Great-Barrier-Reef-Australia-obituary-coral-bleaching-global-warming-marine-pollution
http://reneweconomy.com.au/marine-heat-waves-caused-almost-unprecedented-damage-australian-coral-34963/
https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2016/03/08/genetics-might-able-save-worlds-coral-reefs/
http://yesofcorsa.com/florida-coral-reefs/
https://news.masterworksfineart.com/2017/06/27/andy-warhols-marilyn-monroe-series-1967
http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/780600/Great-Barrier-Reef-Australia-obituary-coral-bleaching-global-warming-marine-pollution
http://reneweconomy.com.au/marine-heat-waves-caused-almost-unprecedented-damage-australian-coral-34963/
https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2016/03/08/genetics-might-able-save-worlds-coral-reefs/
http://yesofcorsa.com/florida-coral-reefs/
https://news.masterworksfineart.com/2017/06/27/andy-warhols-marilyn-monroe-series-1967