Digital Collage
"Hung Over"
Size: 24 in. x 36 in.
Medium: Digital Manipulation
Date: September 13, 2016
Exhibition Text
Karen Armenta
Hung Over, 2016
Digital Collage
Hung Over, 2016
Digital Collage
In Hung Over, the theme of the piece showcases my inner turmoil from my past. My artistic inspiration was Dorothea Lange's, Migrant Mother and Sleeping Gypsy: 1938. I wanted to incorporate the feeling of isolation and how I had to persevere through the many obstacles in my life. In my piece, I decided to emphasize myself with the contrast between monotone hues and warm hues and create the same mood my artistic inspiration did.
Artistic Inspiration
By the Time of Her Death by Suicide in New York City, She Was at the Height of Her Career. "Famous Photographers and Their Work, with Pictures Explaining the World in Photos." Famous Photographers and Their Work. With Pictures. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2016.
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"Sleeping Gypsy: 1938." Shorpy.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2016.
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I drew a lot of my inspiration from Dorothea Lange's works. She was an American photographer who captured the impact the Great Depression had on the people. She utilizes the technique of the contrast of values in her pictures to highlight the feeling of despair that her subjects had. The effects gave off a sullen and beat up aura and her careful, steady hand was held to perfection to photograph the suffering that came with the Great Depression. Much like Sleeping Gypsy: 1938, I wanted to mirror her use of the filter and the positioning of the subjects in my own digital collage so that I could exhibit the theme and the mood. This piece also used its space to its advantage, as the background contributes a lot to the story of the work and gives the laying woman a sense of balance and unity, as she lays near the foreground of the picture. In my piece, I wanted to incorporate specific placing and use all of the space I had in order to clearly show a sense of harmony and unity. I also really wanted to draw the contrast of values and shades from Migrant Mother into my own piece, but I wanted to include muted hues to look like a duller shade of the hue.
During the era of photography, it was common to use filters because it was used to have a rustic and antique sense to their works. Adding less color to their works added a touch of feeling and made them have a set mood for a story seized in time. It was also because the earlier versions of the camera only took shots in black and white and there was nothing much they could do about it but use it to their advantage. Photos were taken so that memories of the past could stay alive and in certain photos, it was to remind people of events that happened. In today's time of photography, photographs are composed digitally and could be digitally enhanced to create a more vivid, crisp, and realistic. Its purpose is to show off the natural beauty of everyday life and to show the world ways the photographer wants the viewer to look at them.
During the era of photography, it was common to use filters because it was used to have a rustic and antique sense to their works. Adding less color to their works added a touch of feeling and made them have a set mood for a story seized in time. It was also because the earlier versions of the camera only took shots in black and white and there was nothing much they could do about it but use it to their advantage. Photos were taken so that memories of the past could stay alive and in certain photos, it was to remind people of events that happened. In today's time of photography, photographs are composed digitally and could be digitally enhanced to create a more vivid, crisp, and realistic. Its purpose is to show off the natural beauty of everyday life and to show the world ways the photographer wants the viewer to look at them.
Planning
It was particularly hard for me to come up with a theme to base my project off of, but since it was a project about me and my imperfections, I decided to revolve it around my inner turmoil from my past and the things that made me who I am now. As I began to think about what I wanted to base my digital collage off of, I kept thinking about how I perceived my background as dark and sullen. I wanted to incorporate monotone hues and contrast them to get a mood going. So I planned out ideas on how I could get the effect of misery and a sort of haunted feel into it. Therefore, I decided to sketch out some rough drafts that had the qualities of eeriness. In these sketches, I wanted at least something to represent my father and alcohol so I tried to come up with ideas that had glass or beer bottles. I also wanted myself to be in the picture so I brainstormed ways that I could add a picture of myself without trying to make it seem like traditional media piece, but instead, a digital collage that held the representation of my life and values.
Sketches
Process
Selecting/Taking Pictures
In order to begin the process of making my digital collage, I had to go out and take pictures of the specific things I wanted to include in my collage. I knew I wanted to have forms of alcohol in my piece so I took pictures of it and took other pictures necessary to go along with the theme of my piece. The broken glass would represent my shattered mindset of myself and the symbolism of alcohol would represent how hung over I am with my past, hence the title, Hung Over.
Images Used
Experimentation
Since I was new to Photoshop, I wanted to play around with the certain effects I could add to make my piece have a black and white filter. I did, however, have experience with other programs that have similar tools to enhance and modify pictures so it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I also experimented with the changes of hues and lights to see what would fit best with how I wanted to showcase my digital collage. As I progressed with the collage, I kept trying to add more darkness but it didn't really seem fitting so instead I adjusted the amount I used so it would look clean and clear.
Process Screenshots
As I began to create my piece, I had to upload the pictures onto Photoshop and use only the parts that I intended on using. The tool I used the most for that specific task was the quick selection tool. It helped me crop out the specific objects I wanted to add to my collage. It was convenient to also refine the edges too make it look less sloppy and more natural so that my piece would have a sense of nice craftsmanship and unity. After that I began to adjust the layers to where I wanted them to be and put on some effects and filters to display my piece's intended theme. I created multiple layers to the collage so that it would be much easier for me to manipulate any single object in my collage without disrupting any other object.
Reflection |
Overall, I can say that my project turned out to be better than what I had anticipated. It seems so much better and more realistic as a digital collage rather than in my head. Looking at my piece, I can honestly say that I can feel all of the feelings I wanted to incorporate and I even feel like other people could look at my piece and feel a sense of darkness and loneliness. The layers of effects and filters greatly made my piece pop out in the sense that certain parts of my piece contained a difference of value in hues, contradicting it's dark background. I wanted to focus and emphasize my body and certain broken beer bottles to tell a story about my past. The broken beer bottles also create a small path that could represent the way that my life has gone and how I still think it will go. I think I succeeded in visually displaying and creating the piece that tells it all.
At first, I had planned out something completely different but as I began to place the pictures into certain spots, I felt like it would be better to do some things a certain way. Of course, I used my planning sketch as a guide, but I kept asking if questions about how I would add something into my digital collage and where would it be good to place it at. In the end, my collage didn't look dramatically different from my sketch, but I did keep some things from my sketches like the pose of my body and the illusion of the alcohol near me. I also thought that the path that I created with the broken glass greatly added much more depth and meaning into my piece. It makes viewers question why there is a gap between the piles of broken glass and what its purpose is.
The mysterious feel to it is thanks to the black and white effect that comes from my artistic inspiration. Lange's use of the values of black and white helped her pieces, Migrant Mother and Sleeping Gypsy: 1938, tell a story of its own and helped frame the whole idea and concept of the picture. My piece differs from both pieces because in the end, I decided to highlight certain objects with the contrast of hues and its values. Conversing Sleeping Gypsy: 1938, my piece has both a foreground and a background, which I did intentionally to utilize all of my space in my piece. I also made my piece have symmetrical balance, since there is equal given attention to any side of my digital collage, which is something that contradicts Lange's works. In the end, my piece has many similar qualities from both Lange's works and the movement of photography.
At first, I had planned out something completely different but as I began to place the pictures into certain spots, I felt like it would be better to do some things a certain way. Of course, I used my planning sketch as a guide, but I kept asking if questions about how I would add something into my digital collage and where would it be good to place it at. In the end, my collage didn't look dramatically different from my sketch, but I did keep some things from my sketches like the pose of my body and the illusion of the alcohol near me. I also thought that the path that I created with the broken glass greatly added much more depth and meaning into my piece. It makes viewers question why there is a gap between the piles of broken glass and what its purpose is.
The mysterious feel to it is thanks to the black and white effect that comes from my artistic inspiration. Lange's use of the values of black and white helped her pieces, Migrant Mother and Sleeping Gypsy: 1938, tell a story of its own and helped frame the whole idea and concept of the picture. My piece differs from both pieces because in the end, I decided to highlight certain objects with the contrast of hues and its values. Conversing Sleeping Gypsy: 1938, my piece has both a foreground and a background, which I did intentionally to utilize all of my space in my piece. I also made my piece have symmetrical balance, since there is equal given attention to any side of my digital collage, which is something that contradicts Lange's works. In the end, my piece has many similar qualities from both Lange's works and the movement of photography.
Connecting to ACT
Identify cause and effect relationships between your inspiration and your artwork.
I was inspired to use photography and this resulted in my will to recreate the same effects that my artist inspiration used. IN turn, my piece was similar in many aspects that Lange's pictures had.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
Based on research, the author wanted to give details on the time period that Lange was creating her images and how the setting altered the significance of the themes in her pictures.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I discovered that Lange was an American photographer who wanted to show the negativity that lived among the UNited States. Her art featured these faults in society and the government and showcased her empathy towards those who suffered immensely in a country that was seen as a paradise.
What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central theme/idea of my piece was alcohol and mental destruction. Although I personally never consumed alcohol, the effects of having someone close to me do things because of it has left me scarred mentally. This in turn inspired most of my piece to represent how mentalities could be destroyed and could end up changing a person's mindset.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I made the inference that although photography isn't made by hand, it can still leave the everlasting impression that an artwork can offer, but in a more realistic and eye-opening way.
I was inspired to use photography and this resulted in my will to recreate the same effects that my artist inspiration used. IN turn, my piece was similar in many aspects that Lange's pictures had.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
Based on research, the author wanted to give details on the time period that Lange was creating her images and how the setting altered the significance of the themes in her pictures.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I discovered that Lange was an American photographer who wanted to show the negativity that lived among the UNited States. Her art featured these faults in society and the government and showcased her empathy towards those who suffered immensely in a country that was seen as a paradise.
What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central theme/idea of my piece was alcohol and mental destruction. Although I personally never consumed alcohol, the effects of having someone close to me do things because of it has left me scarred mentally. This in turn inspired most of my piece to represent how mentalities could be destroyed and could end up changing a person's mindset.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I made the inference that although photography isn't made by hand, it can still leave the everlasting impression that an artwork can offer, but in a more realistic and eye-opening way.
Bibliography
"Dorothea Lange." Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 2016. Web. 13 Dec. 2016.
"Photography History: The Digital Era." Photocritic Photo School. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2016.
Dachis, Adam. "Learn the Basics of Photoshop: The Complete Guide." Lifehacker. N.p., 2011. Web. 13 Dec. 2016.
"Photography History: The Digital Era." Photocritic Photo School. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2016.
Dachis, Adam. "Learn the Basics of Photoshop: The Complete Guide." Lifehacker. N.p., 2011. Web. 13 Dec. 2016.
Backstory
My father left my life when I was 9 years old. He was my best friend in a once fantasy world. We spent a lot of time together and he would always remind me that I would always be loved by him. Like all people, my dad wasn’t a perfect person, and I saw all his imperfections. I knew he was an alcoholic. I knew he did things he had no control over, but I also knew he had the chance to become a better person, and that’s what ultimately drove him out of my life.
Before he left, I missed school a lot because of my dad’s alcohol addiction. He would be too busy recovering from hangovers to pay attention to my sister and I. We would go hungry and I felt like I lived the life of a peasant. I never liked those days, and I always thought that the last day would be the last time it would happen, but it never was. Nevertheless, I always forgave my father. I gave him the benefit of the doubt because, well, he was my father. I loved him no matter what. As time went by, my dad never changed his ways. I slowly realized that and inside me, my heart and brain were at war. My heart told me to love him for who he was and with time, he’d change, but my brain told me that the proof was all in the pudding.
When my dad left, I didn’t know how to react. I was shocked and in denial, but I also had to be there for my mother who was going through the emotions of divorce. I stepped up to help care for my year-old sister at the time. I always thought my dad would come back and things would go back to way they were, even though I knew it wasn’t the best way of living.
I wanted him to come back and I expected things to go back to normal, but as time progressed, I found myself questioning everything I came to know about him. My mother said we would get to see him occasionally, but that was never the case. My dad had moved to Chicago, where his family was, and I never saw him again. Sure, he came once in a while, but it wasn’t routinely. As I got older, his visits turned to phone calls, but even those were rare.
As a result of many excuses and absences, my inner turmoil began. I lost someone who I cared for deeply and he took everything I came to know. He took my happiness, he took my youth, and he took my love away with him, and yet, he was oblivious to what he had committed. My whole world was in questioning. Was I really someone who was easily forgotten? Was my life a lie? Did he truly care for us? Who will love me now?
I’m 16 now. I’ve had time to reflect on my past, yet, it has shaped me to be who I am today. I try to be there for those I care about because he wasn’t for me. I try to greet my friends everyday because I want them to never feel forgotten. I try to be the happiest person so I can conceal my pain. I smile through my misery, and I laugh to block out my laments. Inside, I feel ugly and unwanted, and I feel forgotten and worthless. All I want is for people to treat me the way I treat them because I don’t think they know what I go through on the inside. I just want to be loved again.
Before he left, I missed school a lot because of my dad’s alcohol addiction. He would be too busy recovering from hangovers to pay attention to my sister and I. We would go hungry and I felt like I lived the life of a peasant. I never liked those days, and I always thought that the last day would be the last time it would happen, but it never was. Nevertheless, I always forgave my father. I gave him the benefit of the doubt because, well, he was my father. I loved him no matter what. As time went by, my dad never changed his ways. I slowly realized that and inside me, my heart and brain were at war. My heart told me to love him for who he was and with time, he’d change, but my brain told me that the proof was all in the pudding.
When my dad left, I didn’t know how to react. I was shocked and in denial, but I also had to be there for my mother who was going through the emotions of divorce. I stepped up to help care for my year-old sister at the time. I always thought my dad would come back and things would go back to way they were, even though I knew it wasn’t the best way of living.
I wanted him to come back and I expected things to go back to normal, but as time progressed, I found myself questioning everything I came to know about him. My mother said we would get to see him occasionally, but that was never the case. My dad had moved to Chicago, where his family was, and I never saw him again. Sure, he came once in a while, but it wasn’t routinely. As I got older, his visits turned to phone calls, but even those were rare.
As a result of many excuses and absences, my inner turmoil began. I lost someone who I cared for deeply and he took everything I came to know. He took my happiness, he took my youth, and he took my love away with him, and yet, he was oblivious to what he had committed. My whole world was in questioning. Was I really someone who was easily forgotten? Was my life a lie? Did he truly care for us? Who will love me now?
I’m 16 now. I’ve had time to reflect on my past, yet, it has shaped me to be who I am today. I try to be there for those I care about because he wasn’t for me. I try to greet my friends everyday because I want them to never feel forgotten. I try to be the happiest person so I can conceal my pain. I smile through my misery, and I laugh to block out my laments. Inside, I feel ugly and unwanted, and I feel forgotten and worthless. All I want is for people to treat me the way I treat them because I don’t think they know what I go through on the inside. I just want to be loved again.