Photomontage

Apologies for the format of this entry, but I’ve had absolutely no time to keep a journal for this assignment. I initially underestimated the work involved in creating a photomontage piece – I imagined a few rough-cut scraps of photos placed together on some grander background would do the trick. Obviously, this has not been the case.

There was slow progress in developing the social issue to explore in my piece. The following is a step-by-step progression of my idea:

• Society’s acceptance of violence as entertainment
• Media violence in relation to children
• Child soldiers (in third world countries?)
• Teen violence
• Kids and guns
• Gun control

And then I decided to stop being an idiot and just run with an idea, so gun control is where I drew the line.

The first iteration of my piece was crowded and messy, but it served its purpose as an initial prototype. I sourced my school children cut-outs from a movie called ‘Battle Royale’, and the other images from various places on the internet. The first iteration focused a lot more on the school aspect, whereas my latter renditions switched the focus to the guns.

To counteract the cluttered look, I really stepped back from the piece and removed all the elements. I was careful to leave copious amounts of white-space this time, allowing the viewer to examine the piece without the visual assault. I then started work designing the reverse side of my postcard. Opting to repeat an element from the front of the postcard, I copied the gun (removing all filers and enhancements) and scoured the internet for gun related statistics. The text I decided to go with was “1 child every 3 hours… 8 children every day… 50 children every week… 3,000 children every year… …are killed by gunfire in the United States alone”.

I thought that my specific social message was not being communicated clearly enough with the current iteration of my photomontage piece, so I set to work making the message clearer. I blended several of the gun toting schoolgirl cut-outs into the image by shading them into the handle of the gun – so they were all aiming at the one schoolboy in the foreground (who has the massive gun aimed at his back). I went on to lay a blood splatter behind everything which contrasted well with the white-space.

Seeking to add the final touches to my piece, I added a pair of bullets and a thin black border along the top and bottom of the quote on the back of the postcard. On the front I placed the words “GUN CONTROL” along the barrel of the gun – which was just enough to really spell out the issue being explored (one can’t make any assumption about the viewer’s deductive skills).

Rayogram 4

Today I’ve played around with inversion and solarisation primarily, also trying to achieve the effect where there’s a thin black line around the object (which I failed at because the tutorial is virtually useless). I’ve got the image looking sufficiently alien, somewhat ethereal, and even slightly electric. Hell, I’d even say it’s about ready for submission. I’ll probably work on it a little more tomorrow and submit it the next morning (Tuesday).

Rayogram 3

Scanner problems? SOLVED!
Items scanned? HELL YES!
Image compiled? Uh… PRETTY MUCH!

Today has been productive. In addition to the technological parts, I scanned a crumpled up piece sheet of lined paper which I’ve used as by background - it adds some texture. Determining which items to use as which body parts was easy once I’d examined each scan and rotated them around a bit. What has proven difficult is apply ANY of the techniques well. The provided tutorials are horrendous; often they give little or no mention of the filters applied, the menus navigated, etc. let alone actually helpful step-by-step information.

Rayogram 2

Fast forward a few days since my last entry to now. After constant (almost daily) communication with Lydia we’ve arranged to meet early tomorrow before class so that she can show me step-by-step what I should be doing to scan. Oh, and the extension she allowed me had saved my life.

I’ve done a lot of thinking and planning (I’ve sure had time to) and my piece will be technology inspired. By scanning a lot of electronic parts, accessories, and cables I will build the components to create a piece which will have the viewer see technology in a new light. Using the electric-inversion effect granted by a rayogram, I will create an alien creature of misshapen ‘robotic’ parts using scans of human technology. Overdone, I know, but I don’t care.

Rayogram 1

Finally, I’ve got time to really sit down and plough through a large portion of this Rayogram assignment. I’ve consulted friends, discussing items that would be interesting to scam for possible compositions. I’ve created a list. I’ve raided my home to horde these items only to realise that this assignment is going to be a lot more trouble than I’d expected. I can’t scan my items! I’ve tried several times and the result is always an image far too blurry to use. I’ll contact Lydia and see what’s what.

Cubism 7

I’m in class right now, rushing to get the finishing touches on my artwork. All I need to do is sort out a paint splatter filter and it’s ready for submission. I fear that it won’t receive a very good mark because it is minimalist and simplified, but hopefully the multimedia poster art style means that it is obviously INTENTIONALLY minimalist and simplified.

Cubism 6

I’ve stripped my piece of all color except red, white, and black. I’ve drastically cut down its dimensions and modelled it more closely on poster art than anything else. The addition of text and reduced dimensions has led me to change the piece’s application from print to electronic media.