Archives for October 2023

For my Memory Soundscape project, I’ve chosen to explore the tumultuous emotional landscape of a painful breakup I experienced several years ago. This was my first love, and when it ended, I found myself enveloped in a profound sadness, isolation, and desolation. It was as if a dark cloud hung over me, and all I wanted to do was mope, cry, and drown in self-pity.

The memory is characterized by an overwhelming sense of loneliness. The only voice I longed to hear was the one that had caused my heartache. The world felt grey, and the sounds around me took on a melancholic tone. I could hear the echoes of love, both lost and remembered, in the distance.

To convey this experience through sound, I plan to utilize melancholic melodies, distant echoes, and a somber ambiance. The sound of tears falling like rain, the mournful sigh of the wind, and the distant echo of whispered regrets will all play a part in this auditory journey.

My breakup memory is marked by a sense of isolation, with the emotional tremors are the focus. I aim to create a soundscape that captures the essence of heartbreak, sadness, and the longing for lost love, allowing the listener to immerse themselves in the emotional journey without the need for words, as I believe this topic is one everyone could potentially relate to

Name: Irene Katakis

Title of Diptych: Reflections of the Heart

Concept and Design

My piece may be what you would call unconventional. It depicts an image of a girl (me!) and a skeleton. At first glance, it may be difficult to discern the meaning of the two pieces, even seeming a bit whimsical. However, this diptych project delves into important concepts that I believe we can all relate to.

The narrative within the diptych illustrates the journey of acceptance and love. It begins with the girl’s initial perception of the skeleton as merely a physical form, representing a sub-theme of life and death. She sees him at face value, as a man with skin and bones, very ordinary. However, she starts to delve deeper into who the skeleton is as a person. As she peers more profoundly into the reflection, she embarks on a “Journey of Acceptance,” gradually perceiving the skeleton’s inner beauty and soul, symbolized by the transformation of the reflection as the skeleton assumes more human attributes. In the second image, she fully comprehends who the skeleton truly is, and her love breathes life into the skeleton, bridging the gap between life and death.

The overarching message it conveys is how transformative love can be. It enables the acceptance of a person’s essence beyond their physical appearance. What people may perceive at face value does not tell the whole story of an individual. The diptych tells a profound story of growth, acceptance, and the power of love to bridge the gap between life and death, ultimately revealing the inner beauty that exists within each of us.

 

Process

As we all know, I took these photos on a whim, without any initial intention of using them in my final piece. I roamed around, capturing images of objects that piqued my interest, ones I believed I could manipulate effectively. Although I possessed a basic understanding of photography principles, such as the rule of thirds, my approach lacked a unified vision since I had not planned on incorporating these images into a cohesive contact sheet.

During the shoot that eventually became my first image, my primary objective was to practice for another project. I experimented with the skeleton, treating it as though it were a real subject, rehearsing the staging for future shots. I had no preconceived intention of including these photos in my final work. However, upon reviewing the images and discussing them with peers and my professor, I realized that some of them held potential for an intriguing narrative. The more I contemplated it, the clearer it became that incorporating these skeleton photos could yield a unique and relatable story.

For this semester, I had been inclined to explore the theme of love. I felt that offering a fresh perspective on this theme would be invigorating for this project.

To commence, I set out to enrich the background of my original photo. I was dissatisfied with its plain and vacuous appearance. My initial step was to edit the original photo using elements from the same image without introducing any additional components from my contact sheet. My aim was to lend depth to the background, as this image would serve as the foundation for the second part of the diptych project. I edited elements of the photo surrounding the background, incorporating aspects of my face, the skeleton’s visage, and even my features onto the skeleton. I believe these additions generated a sense of transformation, as if everything were caught in a whirlwind. Additionally, the merging of the skeleton’s and my faces symbolized a shift in perception. As the girl gazes into the mirror, she starts recognizing the inner beauty and humanity of the skeleton. This transformation embodies the concept that love and acceptance can unveil a person’s true essence beyond their external appearance.

 

Once the background was filled, I began incorporating other images from my contact sheet into the composition. I initiated this process by adding the skeleton’s hand to the lower part of the screen. I achieved this by isolating his hand from a full skeleton image and creating the impression that it was pushing up against the screen, reaching out both to the audience and to himself. The significance of the outstretched hand is open to interpretation, but from my perspective, it symbolizes the skeleton reaching out to himself and the girl in response to her touch. He begins to recognize who he is after the girl’s love has breathed life into him, and he is overjoyed that someone finally sees his true self. I also superimposed elements of my hand over his, aiming to emphasize the mutual transformation taking place. This mirrors my thought process behind including the girl’s hand on the skeleton’s cheek. I consider the hand on his cheek as an endearing gesture, symbolizing her presence, her understanding of him, and her role in infusing life into him. The ring I added on her finger signifies their eternal connection.

Next, I introduced another finger with a ring around the skeleton’s heart. This element serves to reinforce their enduring connection and underscores how the girl brings him to life by not only seeing his heart but also physically touching it. Her everlasting love keeps him “beating” as he gradually transforms to appear more human.

Lastly, I integrated images of the two figures holding hands. Initially, they were depicted with a single finger interlocked, signifying her initial hesitation as she had yet to see the real him. However, their hands eventually interlock once she fully accepts and truly sees him for who he is.

Challenges

I was determined to introduce an element into the second image, one that would transform the girl’s eyes into hearts. The purpose of this alteration was to accentuate the depth of her newfound love for the skeleton. However, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t seem to make it work! I exhausted all my efforts, attempting every technique I knew, but the task of converting the eyes into heart shapes proved to be exceptionally challenging. Even when I came close to achieving it, the results were barely noticeable because the eye areas in the original photo were quite dark. I eventually had to settle for the best outcome I could attain. At present, the eyes have been subtly altered to resemble hearts, but the final result remains rather dim and challenging to see.

Conclusion

Overall, I am quite happy with how everything turned out. I believe the message I aimed to convey is expressed clearly, even though it’s a rather intricate concept, which initially concerned me. If I had more time to work on it, I think I would experiment more with colors. Since I primarily focused on seamlessly integrating various photos from my contact sheet into my original image, I didn’t have the opportunity to explore different color editing and lighting. It would be intriguing to consider making my original photo black and white while keeping the second photo in color, as this would emphasize how she is breathing life into him. Adding elements of color like this would be very interesting and if I had a chance in the future I would love to explore those aspects. 

Image of Diptych

Photo I

 

Photo II

 

Contact Sheet

By the term “fluidity of the digital,” I believe Ritchin is referring to how easily images and digital media can be manipulated. In the past, photography was used to capture raw, genuine moments, providing the most authentic account of events without firsthand experience. Nowadays, while some photographers still aim to capture unaltered and genuine images, many photos are edited or photoshopped to serve a particular agenda. A good example of this is the instance mentioned in the text, where photos of OJ Simpson were edited to appear darker, influencing viewers to perceive him as more of a criminal.

It used to be believed that “how can we confirm something happened without photographic evidence.” This sentiment still holds true, as people continue to rely on images to corroborate events, such as in legal cases or to verify someone’s whereabouts. However, I would argue that it has become less reliable in representing reality nowadays due to the widespread popularity and accessibility of editing and photo manipulation. A prime example of this can be seen on Instagram, where almost all influencers post a multitude of edited photos, presenting them as accurate representations of their appearance. However, when encountered in person, many influencers look significantly different. In these cases, I would say that digital media is not reliable in capturing reality, as the difference between how they look in images and in real life is substantial. Editing and manipulation are not limited to photography; they are evident in all forms of media, including videos, books, plays, and even games. Everything is created and altered to fit a particular agenda. Books are written from the author’s perspective and knowledge, videos are recorded and edited through the videographer’s lens, and games are developed based on the story and imagination of the writers. Due to the prevalence of manipulations in digital media, it is crucial that people remain vigilant when consuming media, approaching everything with skepticism and using critical thinking to evaluate its authenticity.

My actual concept is following the theme of Love that I have been focusing my projects on this whole semester (it’s the semester of love, I guess). I want to showcase two people walking past each other, accompanied by a group of friends, with their heads turned slightly sideways to look at each other but not enough to be fully staring at one another. When you are looking at the image raw, with no editing or photoshopping effects added, it will most likely look like a simple passing of two individuals. However, with editing, I want to bring out the story of two individuals connecting, in love (maybe even secretly in love), and you can see their emotions and affection clearer through the images. I think this type of photo will be really cool, especially in the realm of the Diptych project, as it is almost two stories. It will really showcase how important paying attention to details is, and how even with many elements in a photo, to look at what’s really occurring beyond the surface. 

I plan to take more photos will actual people that I can actually stage how I want. In my current photo contact sheet, I used it more of a guideline then my final contact sheet. As we had the break, people I wanted to use for my images were not available, so I had to improvise with myself and inanimate objects. I used the skeleton to showcase a different message, of how we are all the same person, with skin and bones, yet we examine ourselves and pick apart ourselves, comparing ourselves to one another. This concept was done because of lack of resources, and although a cool concept, I feel like a better direction to take the project in would be what my original concept is.

My plan in editing my photos for the actual concept I have is to make the surrounding people in the image grey, or take the color out of them and highlight the couple. Then I will add imagery of love around them, whether that be hearts or typography or shapes. I also want to add some symbols, maybe highlighting their subtle eye contact or the brush of their hands against one another

Name: Irene Katakis

Title of Music: Fall Me To The Moon

Artist Name: Frank Sinatra

Concept and Design

This song is by Frank Sinatra, an old American singer from the mid-20th century. Simply put, Frank Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon”, originally titled “In Other Words”, is centered on the singer being deeply in love. And the title is a metaphor which is based on how he feels about his significant other. Or “fly me to the moon” is a fancy way of saying that being with his lover (i.e. the addressee of this song) makes him feel euphoric. 

Since this catchy and creative title phrase sets the tone for expressing this reality, the singer sticks to this theme in the first verse by using celestial references to describe his feelings for his special someone. But as the song goes on, it takes a more down-to-earth turn. The singer gets real about how he feels about this lady. He talks about the simple joys of holding her hand and sharing kisses. His heart is so full of happiness that he passionately says he “worships and adores” her. With all of these emotions in play, he really wants her to stay faithful to their relationship.

In the end, the song wraps up with a simple and direct “I love you.” This heartfelt sentiment remains a constant thread running through the song’s lyrics, never wavering.

In my endeavor to create a sound visualization piece inspired by the song “Fly Me to the Moon,” I delved into the lyrics and their underlying meanings to subtly weave them into my artwork. The song’s title itself was a profound source of inspiration, leading me to explore imagery related to space and the moon. However, it was the lyrics, such as “let me play among the stars,” that truly set the tone for the visual narrative. 

The song’s lyrics not only conveyed a sense of longing but also exuded an aura of joy, cheerfulness, and love. These emotional nuances provided the foundation for my creative process. To mirror these sentiments and employ Gestalt principles effectively, I chose an abstract, aesthetically pleasing composition for my poster. The entire composition of my poster primarily features imagery of outer space and celestial beings.

The central focus of my artwork revolves around a large, black centerpiece, deliberately placed to adhere to the Gestalt principle of figure-ground. This central shape serves as a focal point, creating a distinct visual hierarchy. Surrounding this central shape, I strategically placed smaller black forms in opposing corners, employing the Gestalt principle of symmetry. These smaller shapes, resembling one another but not identical, were meant to illustrate the complexity of choosing a partner, thus exemplifying the principle of similarity in Gestalt theory. While couples may appear similar or compatible outwardly (i.e., how the shapes were positioned), they are internally still unique (slightly different shapes). They complemented each other without conforming to identical forms, a concept that demonstrates how two entities can harmonize without necessitating uniformity. The viewer’s eye naturally follows the flow between these contrasting shapes, aligning with the Gestalt principle of good continuation, much like the ebb and flow of a romantic relationship.

As for the larger central shape, I aimed to have it represent the unity of two individuals. This shape embodies the concept of unity, adhering to the Gestalt principle of closure. It is large and filled with various “planets” and “stars,” symbolizing the myriad opportunities and bright future envisioned by the couple in the song. Visually, it represents their shared journey through life, marked by possibilities and adventures, thereby embracing the Gestalt principle of similarity.

In addition, I incorporated imagery of “playing among the stars” by using letters to create a slide or jungle gym, alluding to the playfulness within the song. This playful addition was intended to capture the essence of joy and spontaneity found in the song’s lyrics.

To further underscore the unity of two individuals, I included two linear shapes at the corners of the central element, creating the impression of pushing or hugging the middle shape, thereby adhering to the Gestalt principle of symmetry. This symbolism conveys the idea that when two people come together, they can create something as magnificent as the universe itself, symbolizing the Gestalt principle of closure.

Process

Originally, I made a simple outline of how I wanted my piece to look without the use of typographic elements. I believed that incorporating typographic elements, while it would definitely add meaning and a story to my piece, was too much of a leap to start with. I began by simply designing the outline of my work, creating imagery of outer space and two individuals, with a very basic representation of stars and the universe. This allowed me to establish a solid framework for when I decided to add my typographical elements and served as a good foundation to build upon.

Next, my second draft was focused on replacing all shapes with typographic elements. My first task was to make the big shapes out of words. I took the letters “FLY” and cut them out to form the shapes I wanted to create. This made it so that it had a hidden meaning in the poster while still looking like how I originally intended and evoking the meaning I wanted. This left them with a double meaning, which I believed further encapsulated the song. Creating these shapes out of wording and making it in a way that I felt was meaningful (i.e., not just making a letter a shape to make a letter a shape) was very difficult. I really had to think about the wording, the meaning, and the purpose behind them. Apart from storytelling, technically, it was also hard to do. I had experience with Illustrator before, but it was so long ago that functions such as cutting were still a bit foggy for me. I believe if I had more time, I would be able to put more meaning and technical skills behind these shapes I made and make it more obvious to the audience, and not just me, the creator, of their hidden meaning.

Next, I worked on adding more obvious typographical elements for details, to further push my message. I did this through multiple methods, one of which was using letters to make stars. I believe this was such an essential touch that really added symmetry throughout the piece and tied it together. I did this by making stars out of the letter “V” and making circular stars with the letter “O.” I then added more symmetrical elements and continuing elements of text on the lining of the shape to further fill the blank space. I think this was super essential to the poster, as it made it look much more put together and “playful” as it curved and twisted. This further embodied the feeling of the song throughout the piece.

My last thing I wanted to do was create the planets and stairs. I started with adding the depiction of the letters “squeezing” together in the middle piece by inflating letters to create the effect. I added them to both sides to make it seem like it was part of each couple and to balance it out throughout the poster. I also added effects on the letter “L” to create the imagery of the stairs/slide in the middle section to convey the lyrics and meaning of the song.

Conclusion

Overall, I am quite happy with how it all came together. I believe my imagery of the song was effectively conveyed, and Gestalt principles were clearly represented. The intended message I was trying to convey came across as well. As I mentioned, I wish I had more time to delve deeper into the meaning and technical aspects of the central shapes I created, making their hidden significance more apparent not only to me as the creator but also to the audience. Additionally, I would like to enhance the quality of the actual frame I had to cut; despite multiple attempts, I struggled to achieve the desired outcome.

Image of my poster

In the drawing I made, I’m trying to explain how a seesaw works to an alien. I went for really simple pictures because these aliens don’t understand our language. From the story we read, we learned that the aliens mainly use images to talk to each other. Their bodies are built in a way that they don’t really get the whole left-right thing, so their language doesn’t use those directions either. Because of this, I focused on showing up and down movements in my drawing, since that’s something they’d get.

The drawing of the seesaw shows how it moves, using easy-to-get symbols to show the movement and how the weight on each side makes it work. I think that with these symbols and pictures, the aliens would get the general idea.

The aliens’ unique way of seeing and interacting with the world made it a bit tricky to explain something that’s pretty normal for us. But by using images and focusing on up and down movements, I tried to make a drawing that they’d understand. The seesaw, in its simplicity, became a way to show that even though we’re different, we can understand each other.

I was really thinking about how to get past the differences in how we communicate and experience things. The goal was to help them understand this simple but interesting piece of equipment that shows some basic physical principles. The seesaw, moving up and down, became a way to explore how we might talk to and understand different beings.

By focusing on simple concepts like balance and movement, I hoped to find some common ground. The drawing, in its simplicity, was meant to be a bridge between our worlds, showing that understanding each other is possible despite our differences.

In the end, making this drawing wasn’t just about explaining a seesaw. It was also about exploring how we might communicate with beings who are different from us. The seesaw, simple as it is, became a way to explore the idea of understanding each other. By using simple symbols and focusing on up and down movements, I hope the drawing can help explain how a seesaw works to beings who see the world very differently from us.