In this project we were supposed to create 6 different collages. Within these collages there has to be a theme, a flow, a progression, juxtaposition and our own interpretation. This, in some ways, was a challenge but while working on this project I found myself experimenting with techniques I haven’t used before. Prior to this class I have never used Adobe InDesign so naturally I was a little nervous but now I feel comfortable working on it.
First we created different pattern by using various medias including acrylic paint, ink, water colors etc. Taking inspiration from these patterns I created different backgrounds and accent elements to incorporate them into my montages. I, however, changed my montages quite a few times because I was not satisfied with them. Finally I decided to go for a subtle yet daring daring look. I combined images from greek mythology with current images of celebrities or actions. In greek mythology there are numerous gods and each carry a different meaning. I went into this idea of a god and wanted to portray how we perceive some people in our lifetimes to possess god like abilities or looks. Combining the images of gods with the bad boy/girl looks from today I projected a more satiric look.
This is the first of the six montages. As a base I used a black and white photo of one of Zeus’s many statues. On top of it I put a man smoking an electronic cigarette as Zeus is the god of gods and always has a stance of being very strong, cut-clean and respectful but having tired looking smoking man juxtaposes with what zeus stands for and gives him an edgy bad boy kind of look.
In the second collage a combined a photo of Lady Gaga and Hera who was believed to be the wife of Zeus. Lady Gaga is known to be fierce, fearless and ‘out there’ and Hera is known for her noble and lady like behaviors. These two very powerful women somehow are different yet very much alike. They both have strong voices but they display them in different ways so to have an image of Hera doşing the ‘be quiet’ gesture creates the juxtaposition I was aiming for.
This collage is my favorite in all six. Buddha is considered to be immortal as it lives through all the people, in their thought and prayers. When anyone talks of immortality I immediately think of two things. Love and eternity.The image I put on top of Buddha is right before a love scene in a tv series I watch and the character plays a vampire so giving Buddha an edgy vampire look created the exact funny juxtaposition ı was going for.
When anyone talks of beauty, there are two names that come up to my mind. Aphrodite and Angelia Jolie. In this montage, as a base, I used a photo of Angelina Jolie from an editorial and a photo of one of many statues of Aphrodite. Angeline is directed to project a very sexy and elegant look and in the photo of Aphrodite it is clear that she is tired and looks kind of unamused. Combining these two images is showing how beauty is actually actually a perception and how the inside look of any beautiful thing can be very fragile.
Dali… The look on his face is enough of an explanation. His surrealist art speaks volumes just as his very interesting character. On the background there is the determined very strong, very loud Hercules and on top of him there is a photo of Dali. Both are strong and possess different talents. Dali may seem unconventional compared to Hercules but that depends on the viewers perception.
Sometimes we want to scream at the top of our lungs, we want to escape all the pressure, just have quiet time to ourselves but unfortunately our positions and responsibilities don’t let us do such things. Even though, one might smile and seem ok we never know what actually is going on inside. In this collage I wanted to portray exactly this and choosing an image of JFK is, I believe, a great representation of the responsibility aspect.
All the collages as a strip. Using the same color palette in all the collages creates a sense of flow and eases the viewers eye. The progression in this strip of collages is a chronological one. Slowly from old two new, from serious to funny…
time_booklet-15er05s : Final version of the montages put together with text.
Process shots and initial ideas:
