RadiantRoses Portfolio

Visual Fleuncy

 

1. Which question you chose, and how you think this exemplifies or responds to the project prompt as a metaphor, synecdoche or metonymy, or if it addresses all.

I chose option #1, the “metaphor”. I wanted to show what it often feels like to deal with depression (as this is something I have dealt with a lot in the past). I wanted to represent that feeling of being alone and the idea of "putting on a mask" with different visuals to create a rather simple piece that gets the idea across.

2. Discuss three of your visual choices with respect to how you think they relate to the given convention. In other words why did you make those choices? and why do you think ( or hope ) that they visually communicate what they do.

 

First off, I wanted to make one of the main focal points the idea of a "mirror and a mask"... whereas instead of the viewer looking at themselves in a mirror, they are seeing a mask with a happy face instead of what they are truly feeling inside. Oftentimes, when people wear masks, they are trying to hide something from others, and I wanted that idea to be really apparent (hence using a very classic theatrical mask with a smile rather than a frown for example). In the background, we see a dystopian world, which represents how the viewer oftentimes sees the world they are living in, they don't see a future ahead of them, all they see is their future crumbling apart. Another aspect that is really important to the scene is the red curtains framing the dystopian ackground. I really wanted this piece to embody the feeling of playing a character in a theatrical performance, where you aren't necessarily "being yourself", you are acting in a world where you feel alone on a stage. As someone who was a big theatre kid in highschool, I felt a lot of similarity with depression and playing a theatrical character, you have to hide this feeling of loneliness and put on a mask to feel "normal" (hence the smiling mask in the mirror's reflection).

3. What was the most difficult thing about creating your project? Please elaborate. Was there anything you wish you had done differently?

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For me, the hardest part was visualizing how I wanted to represent my metaphor. I had a few different ideas at first and not all of them fit the vision I initially had. I also had trouble finding images that really worked for my needs, I had to change my idea a bit from what I initially wanted to do because I just simply could not find the images to represent what I wanted it to! I found some images that would work but after finding out they were made with Ai (which I am against), I had to change directions. That and I am still very new to using Photoshop, as such I created the red curtains in procreate (hand-drawn) and simply implemented that image into the piece because. I had no idea how to draw in Photoshop! In terms of things I could have done differently.... I really wish I implemented more of my own hand drawn imagery (as I have more fun doing that), I think the curtains could have been done a bit better. The than holding the mirror also wants exactly what I had in mind but it was the best image I could find that was "free", so finding images that really matched my visions was hard!

4. Citations and image source credit/ links portion. (this can be under your image or at the end of your analysis.

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Mask image:

- https://stock.adobe.com/search?k=happy+sad+masks&asset_id=82997357

Dystopian City:

- https://wallpapers.com/background/dark-city-background-cgapzz0a75r75paz.html

Hand holding mirror:

- https://www.pexels.com/photo/mirror-on-hand-2412353/