Project 2
Title: One with the Earth
Medium: Digital Piece
Size: 36 in x 27 in
Date: September 2017
Exhibition Text: For this digital art piece, I chose to draw inspiration from Antonio Mora's collection of dream portraits. Through photo manipulation and photo shop, I was able to create a "hybrid" portrait, combining both nature and the human figure. I used this technique in order to portray the affects of our decaying planet on humans and our bodies. I chose to continue with the red to black hue range in order to capture our world's doomed progression. While we may be advancing industrially, mother nature and our planet as a whole is dying.
Artistic Inspiration
Antonio Mora known to be a photo manipulator that is able to blend humans and nature together to create surreal hybrid artworks. His work is best described as inexhaustible fantasy, where he makes "cocktails", fusing them together. His works portray great forcefulness and expressive force. The flavors of evocation and mystery, that opens cracks within us. Through photo manipulation, Mora is able to emphasize drama and add movement. The shadows of his pieces are done proportionally to create realism. The texture that blends all the pieces together evenly adds to the depth of art that's then match to set the mood. The enhancing images are then emphasized as a whole to draw viewers eyes instantly to a specific spot.
Experimentation
To begin the brainstorming process, I sketched three ideas of how my project could possible go. In the three sketches I wanted to portray a human body rotting as a result of mother nature being destroyed. I chose to show this by photo shopping dead flesh to the shoulders of my figures as well as adding some destruction to the areas representing the Earth. After playing with the idea of decay I began to adjust the colors of the overall piece. My original idea was to have it be in black and white, to show how the world would be colorless and in dismay by the destruction caused by humans. When putting this digital piece together I tried an overall red filter over the image which I had liked better.
Process
1. Gathering Ideas
To begin my process, I first began by creating three different sketches. The first two sketches were quite similar in which they both included a human figure being manipulated with a body of water. The first one however was with rain and puddles, while the second one was with a waterfall or rainfall. The third sketch showed a different element. I had the idea of putting together a human figure with a cloud, the face and hair almost disappearing into a cloud. From these three ideas, I was most drawn to the one's involving water, due to the fact that our planet Earth is made up of a majority of water.
To begin my process, I first began by creating three different sketches. The first two sketches were quite similar in which they both included a human figure being manipulated with a body of water. The first one however was with rain and puddles, while the second one was with a waterfall or rainfall. The third sketch showed a different element. I had the idea of putting together a human figure with a cloud, the face and hair almost disappearing into a cloud. From these three ideas, I was most drawn to the one's involving water, due to the fact that our planet Earth is made up of a majority of water.
2. Connecting a Theme
I once again decided to create a piece having to do with change and destruction. Our planet Earth is the only planet that we have and get to live on. It's important to me to portray the significance of keeping our world good and alive. With the digital photo manipulation I wanted to portray how people are in synced with the planet.
I once again decided to create a piece having to do with change and destruction. Our planet Earth is the only planet that we have and get to live on. It's important to me to portray the significance of keeping our world good and alive. With the digital photo manipulation I wanted to portray how people are in synced with the planet.
3. Taking Photos
Before starting the photoshop editing, I took a few picture of part of a human figure as well as some elements of nature that I thought I could experiment and manipulate on photoshop. This included human shoulders and collar bones, human backside, rain puddles, clouds, and some formation of rocks.
Before starting the photoshop editing, I took a few picture of part of a human figure as well as some elements of nature that I thought I could experiment and manipulate on photoshop. This included human shoulders and collar bones, human backside, rain puddles, clouds, and some formation of rocks.
4. Photoshop
With the pictures I had taken, I had opened up different tabs for each photo in order to make edits. At this stage of my process I was still undecided about what I wanted my final piece to look like. I began to try different manipulations like cropping out the cloud from one image and placing it over the image of rain. After doing this I wasn't sure as to where I would be able to place the image of the human figure without the overall image looking like a cut out mess, rather than a unified image with smooth outlines. I then abandoned this idea and decided to start with the manipulation of the human figure instead. I started with the shoulders and collar bones but had no ideas as of what to do with it. I tried applying the puppet warp effect to make them seem as though they were being dispersed into water, however this imagine did not look satisfying. I decided to abandon this idea as well. I went back once again and decided to start with the image of a human backside. From this I was able to edit it to make it look like there was rainfall coming off the back, ask if the backside was a cloud. Out of all my attempts this one was the most pleasing. I decided to go with this idea and further the continuation of my project. From here I went on to applying different textures and filters to change the color and overall mood of the image.
With the pictures I had taken, I had opened up different tabs for each photo in order to make edits. At this stage of my process I was still undecided about what I wanted my final piece to look like. I began to try different manipulations like cropping out the cloud from one image and placing it over the image of rain. After doing this I wasn't sure as to where I would be able to place the image of the human figure without the overall image looking like a cut out mess, rather than a unified image with smooth outlines. I then abandoned this idea and decided to start with the manipulation of the human figure instead. I started with the shoulders and collar bones but had no ideas as of what to do with it. I tried applying the puppet warp effect to make them seem as though they were being dispersed into water, however this imagine did not look satisfying. I decided to abandon this idea as well. I went back once again and decided to start with the image of a human backside. From this I was able to edit it to make it look like there was rainfall coming off the back, ask if the backside was a cloud. Out of all my attempts this one was the most pleasing. I decided to go with this idea and further the continuation of my project. From here I went on to applying different textures and filters to change the color and overall mood of the image.
5. Details and Final Touches
Once my piece was manipulated to my content, I went back in to edit any rough lines and edges that weren't intended. This got rid of obvious outlines and harsh contours that I did not want as a part of my piece. I adjusted the filters, contrast and brightness of my image in order to get an effective mood of destruction.
Once my piece was manipulated to my content, I went back in to edit any rough lines and edges that weren't intended. This got rid of obvious outlines and harsh contours that I did not want as a part of my piece. I adjusted the filters, contrast and brightness of my image in order to get an effective mood of destruction.
6. Compare and Contrast
Compared to the work of Antonio Mora, my final piece matched up with the same subject matter, as well as the same technique. Both of our work showed photo manipulation, as well as human and nature morphing together. What differed was the overall size of the subject and the image. Mora's work is often focused in on one particular area of the the face or human body, while I chose to incorporate the entire backside, hair and arms.
Compared to the work of Antonio Mora, my final piece matched up with the same subject matter, as well as the same technique. Both of our work showed photo manipulation, as well as human and nature morphing together. What differed was the overall size of the subject and the image. Mora's work is often focused in on one particular area of the the face or human body, while I chose to incorporate the entire backside, hair and arms.
Reflection
After fully completing my second project, I found it to be a success. The outcome of this piece was in the range of what I had envisioned during my brainstorming process. The connections from which I drew out of my artist inspiration, were in comparison quite similar to the artists original statement. What differed in my work was the mood I was able to set with the hues and the texture. When glaring upon my work, one can feel the anger and ruination of human and our world and on the contrary, Antonio Mora's work portrays humans and nature coming into one peacefully and beautifully.
ACT Questions
.1. Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationships between your inspiration and its effect upon your artwork.
My inspirational artist, Antonio Mora's use of digital manipulation had aided me in successfully portraying the overall theme I chose for my art piece. This was done through photo shop and photo manipulation, being able to smoothly put two different images of two subject matters into one altogether art piece.
2. What is the overall approach (point of view) the author (from your research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The overall point of view of my inspiration's topic is to recognize ourselves and nature as one. Through photo manipulation, Mora was able to warp together images of nature as well as images of the human figure into one hybrid that portrayed a beautiful unity.
3. What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
A conclusion that I have come to while researching my inspiration is that our world's survival is being diminished at the hands of humans. A majority of people are more concerned with the advancement and industrializing of our planet, that the thought of human killing the Earth flies over their heads. One can often fail to recognize that humans can be at one with our planet, and the results of a world can bad and cold could have serious repercussions on us.
4. What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea of my inspiration was once again deterioration. A broader theme would be change. However, for this project instead of focusing on our planet alone, I shifted my perspective over to how destruction could affect human. It was because of this that I chose to look for an artists that was successful in morphing together human figures with different aspects of nature, so that I could mimic the was the two subjects are united into one.
5. What kind of inferences (conclusions reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning) did you make while reading your research?
While performing my research I have concluded that myself, along with any other artists, draw inspiration from our different cultures that then factor into the creation of our art.
My inspirational artist, Antonio Mora's use of digital manipulation had aided me in successfully portraying the overall theme I chose for my art piece. This was done through photo shop and photo manipulation, being able to smoothly put two different images of two subject matters into one altogether art piece.
2. What is the overall approach (point of view) the author (from your research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The overall point of view of my inspiration's topic is to recognize ourselves and nature as one. Through photo manipulation, Mora was able to warp together images of nature as well as images of the human figure into one hybrid that portrayed a beautiful unity.
3. What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
A conclusion that I have come to while researching my inspiration is that our world's survival is being diminished at the hands of humans. A majority of people are more concerned with the advancement and industrializing of our planet, that the thought of human killing the Earth flies over their heads. One can often fail to recognize that humans can be at one with our planet, and the results of a world can bad and cold could have serious repercussions on us.
4. What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea of my inspiration was once again deterioration. A broader theme would be change. However, for this project instead of focusing on our planet alone, I shifted my perspective over to how destruction could affect human. It was because of this that I chose to look for an artists that was successful in morphing together human figures with different aspects of nature, so that I could mimic the was the two subjects are united into one.
5. What kind of inferences (conclusions reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning) did you make while reading your research?
While performing my research I have concluded that myself, along with any other artists, draw inspiration from our different cultures that then factor into the creation of our art.