A Fine Madness by Laura Jenkins
Decisions (and Subject Matter): Each element that I incorporated into my collage speaks, in some way, about me personally. There are many stages in and of my life represented on this piece of poster-board. Most of the photographs of people (all but one, actually) are of my family. This is because my family is the single most important thing in my life and deserves to be highly recognized in this collaboration of myself. I also included a lot of images from my hometown as it too has played a large role in the person I turned out to be. The rest of the pictures, mostly architecture, show some of the greatest art I have encountered first-hand up to this point in my life. So, by all means, my collage is an extension of me—my values, my tastes, my family, and my favorites. Even my country and the world that I live in today (there are 8 nations represented here, many more if you include each bear’s nationality) find their way into this historical, artistic expression that is moi.
Color: The majority of the colors I used in this composition are warm and earthy tones. I find these colors both familiar and comforting, much like the majority of the elements I incorporated into my collage.
Light: The placement of images in specific areas has a lot to do with the overall lighting effect in the collage. In the mid- to lower right corner, for example, the lamps and chandeliers seem to emit a very luminous light, reflecting off of the reds and gold. The lower left-hand corner, on the other hand, is much darker due to a lack of sufficient “light source”. The upper right area of the collage is seemingly very naturally lit with much open sky in the background.
Texture: Obviously this is a very flat, sleek surface. However, texture and pattern can be found within the composition, especially in the ornate detail of the Baroque and Rococo architecture.
Volume: The darker images near the bottom of my collage—the looming Czech clock tower, the emboldened text, and the very dimly lit photos of my friends and family—all create a nice weighted base in the composition. The light, airy images near the top counterbalance that with a refreshing and breathable openness.
Line: The composition of the collage is arranged around a vertical axis. From the bottom, viewers are able to follow the arms of the bear representing China upward, through the cavernous hall of paintings and along the distinct line between photographs, continuing all the way to apex of the stained glass window. The implied lines created by the gazes of the bears on either side of the collage direct the viewer’s eye through the image. The same is also true of my kitten Stuart’s downward stare.
Space: To create an illusion of depth in my collage, I included windows and spaces that illustrate linear and atmospheric perspective, overlapping images in specific places to create a foreground and background. For example, my yellow-clad sister and I almost appear to be inside the elegant hall of the Hermitage.
Scale: The largest and central image in my collage is the most recent, and my favorite, family photo, taken on Mother’s Day. As I mentioned before, my family is truly the center of my life and therefore takes precedence in the composition.
Symbolism:
1. The image of Stonehenge, as it relates to this class, represents the foundations of what we consider today to be art.
2. The uniquely painted bears, which were part of an art exhibition displayed in Poland at the time, signify the global elements of art that connect and interconnect to create new style and influence, and all the many different peoples that together make up this crazy, wonderful world in which we live.
3. The photo of the Berlin wall, directly beneath Stonehenge, symbolizes the gravity of certain history and how it has shaped the world today. It is also now a form of artistic expression in its own way—an expression of how the peoples affected by its presence perceived its significance.
4. The quote by Rainer Maria Rilke, 18th-19th Century Austro-German poet, is my favorite—it is a full representation of the way in which I hope to live my life each day.
As I look at your collage I see a pyramid with a flat top. I see this pyramid when looking at the picture that is the main focus, which would be the one in the middle. I see that you have used depth with windows that are incorporated in the collage which is what you stated about in your written component. This collage has a theme of family and traveling to me because of the fact that your main focused picture is of you and your family and because of the pictures that you have incorporated into the collage that are of foreign places. And you are correct that the placement of the photos have to do with the lighting in it because I see the right side being the brightest side and the left side is the darker side. There are also a lot of colors incorporated into the collage that make it seem bright as well. There aren't many words incorporated into this collage, but from the pictures the audience can tell that you are one who really likes nature.
ReplyDeleteThere are many aspects to your collage that are aesthetically pleasing. It is well organized and layed out in a uniform way. Also it seems that the images are grouped together by color tones. I think it is neat that you used pictures that all had your family in them except for one. You were very inclusive of all the apsects in the collage assignment it seems like. I like how you really added personal touches by incorporating your favorite quote and title in the collage. I think its interesting that you incorporated the Berlin wall since it is very histortical and relates to the world around us. I had a hard time figuring out what to incorporate into mine for the historical aspect. You did a very good job with that.
ReplyDeleteI love the emphasis on family in your collage. You make it very clear what is important in your life, and you did a solid job making it a pleasant, cohesive image. Everything balances very well and blends together in a way that allows each element to receive the attention it deserves. All of the art and architecture in your collage is gorgeous, and I really enjoyed reading about the way you used many of them as symbols for bigger themes and elements. Your use of a title in the collage is a nice touch as well - it fits in perfectly. Everything is well organized, but in a way that keeps it interesting, so that something new catches the viewer's eye with each glance.
ReplyDeleteAlthough your collage is very structured and organized, it still seems to draws my eye every which way. The importance of your family is so pleasing to read about, and you have done a great job revealing their influence among your composition. I love the colors you chose, and the incorporation of the title was a different and interesting approach. In regards to how the world and history were involved, I was very intrigued as to how you used architecture, which was very suitable to this class. In addition to the amount of effort put into this project, I was able to see how personal you made this. Reading the descriptions were very enjoyable and gave me a sense of who you are.
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