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QWERTY
Personal Project
(Digital Experimentation)
2
3.1x
5-6 hours
54%
Per month that people feel guilty for their consumption habits.
The average daily screen time per person.
Of Gen-Z don't feel engaged at work.
66%
Feel that they consume too much media.
1
Brief
The
“Gen-Z are burnt-out and anxious from the world they are living in, and so turn to social media for escapism and to unwind, but find it hard to re-connect with the world."
We perceive the addictive dopamine rush received from late night scrolling is as better for us, rather than having to face harsh realities, despite the detrimental effects we know it has on our mental health.
Insight
3
How can I portray 3 pieces that show my desire to reconnect with the world, and move away from my dependency on social media.
To fulfil my desire to reconnect with the world around me, I took photos on my walk on my childhood camera. I definitely felt that this made the work more meaningful to me, as though I was my child-self again, with no distractions from technology. I therefore expressed this by experimenting with lower angles, as though I were small again. The photos have a very playful style that fits my intentions well, and the imperfection and quality provides a sense of innocence that ties into the sense of nostalgia I was trying to portray.
4
1. Photo Collage
To represent the digital side of the piece, I wanted to show how the negative effects of over-consumption of media can last on a person.
I lay down with my back pressed into a computer keyboard for 40 minutes. When removed, the impression perfectly outlined the keys. I set my self-timer and captured the result.
Result:
Note to Self:
How can I push this even further?
2. Typo Experimentation
I wanted to see how far I could push both my creative boundaries, as well as visual boundaries too.
I believe this way I ensure that a strong narrative is always provided that fulfils the objectives of each brief I encounter.
This can sometimes mean I go too far, and I have to remove elements. I prefer this process though as it
forces me to analyse each element and it's purpose within a piece; and if it isn't serving the
piece, or communicates a different narrative, then I know it's not right.
I applied the same process as I do with my paintings - adding more elements until I reach the right balance.
Start
I love the sense of nostalgia from the simplicity of the piece, contrasted by the bizarre imprint on flesh that creates a balance between unsettling and comforting.
3. Mixed Media
For the third outcome of my experimentation, I wanted to explore an entirely new style and concept, within the same theme of portraying over-consumption of media. However, this time I wanted to challenge myself by removing any figures or signs of human presence, so it becomes more abstract.
This more extreme presentation was inspired by my moment of realisation that I was on my phone too much - and what motivated me to create this series in the first place. After a late night of boredom scrolling, I finally turned off my phone and shut my eyes, however the negative image of my phone remained. Even as I tried to walk around, the deep blue blob took over majority of my vision.
The piece represents how this obstruction distracts yours focus away from your surroundings, and for me, away from nature.
I spent hours experimenting with this piece to find the right balance between the two panels. I prefer to experiment digitally first, to avoid waste, and so I can explore multiple options and compare to see which is the most effective. For the blur image, I actually used a screenshot of my instagram home page, and made a pixelated reference to paint on the printed image. I think the blend between digital and tangible paint perfectly captures my internal conflict between whether to embrace or be wary of technology.
Result:
+
Reflection:
Overall, I'm thrilled with how each of these 3 pieces turned out, as I forced myself out of my comfort zone in order to try new styles, techniques, and concepts . As a result I actually gained a stronger understanding of my personal style, as I realised I was less satisfied with the second piece, due to its more graphic and clean look. However, I think it demonstrates my versatility and ability to produce a variety of work from different approaches, that all share the same message.
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