Digital Collage
Artwork: Digital Collage
Title: Insecure number Size: 24x36 in Medium: Adobe Photoshop CS6 Completion: 10/28/18 Exhibition TextThis piece represents insecurity, and how we try to protect ourselves from the bad. I wanted to convey beauty and fear at the same time. The protective stance of the body shows the need for protection against the harm of other people and ourselves. I wanted to portray my insecurity and the need to protect myself from the world, so I don't get hurt. the water represents all of the feelings I kept to myself overtime, the mushrooms represent the overwhelming buildup of feelings and thoughts, and the flowers represent the feelings and thoughts I let out and share with other people despite my insecurity.
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Inspiration
Wall of Kom Ombo Temple
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I was inspired by the wall of Kom Ombo Temple because of the very stationary and stiff figures featured. It influences the strong form of the face and the emphasized eyes shown in Egyptian culture. The stiffness of the figures featured in this piece gave me the idea of the stiff defensive stance that I intend my piece to have. I have always had a fascination with Egyptian culture and art especially their gods. I intend my piece to feature a godlike figure to show that not everyone is perfect and we all have our faults. Kawm Umbū, also spelled Kum Ombu or Kôm Ombo, town and valley of Upper Egypt, situated about 30 miles (48 km) north of the Aswan High Dam in Aswān muḥāfaẓah (govern orate). The town, an agricultural marketplace and a sugarcane-processing and cotton-ginning center, lies on the east bank of the Nile River between the main valley highway and the Cairo-Aswān Railway. Historically the Nile River valley south of Kawm Umbū was populated largely by ethnic Nubians or mixed Egypto-Nubians
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Process/Techniques/Experimentation
I chose a background that was almost empty but resembled a pattern within the water, It was a picture that I took this summer of the desert like patterns that were formed in the water. I chose this picture because It added more emphasis on my inspiration and where it originated.
I then placed my figure on top of my background, I then decided with a little experimentation that the piece translated the meaning better with two figures, and I had the one in back fading away as in the numb feeling in emotion.
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I then chose a picture of a mushroom to recreate the building up of emotions overtime when your feelings aren't shared.
I placed the mushroom in between the larger figure and the smaller figure to create a separation due to build up of not sharing emotion.
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I chose the yellow flower to represent the feelings that are shared, and how good it feels to share them.
The last step was to meticulously place the flowers that represent the feelings that are shared and said despite insecurity and the feeling of not being able to trust anyone. The most difficult part of the planning phase was figuring out the different settings and capabilities of Photoshop.
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Planning
My first sketch is a defensive individual who is insecure and trying to hide themselves from the world for protection. As I often do to protect myself from people.
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for my second sketch I drew a happy beautiful individual showing my happy, welcoming, and accepting personality
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For my third sketch I drew an Alien like creature to show that I don't often feel welcome into certain situations, especially if I don't know everyone that is involved in the situation.
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written pages
Reflection
Insecure number is inspired by the wall of Kom Ombo Temple and the Egyptian dependence on godlike figures. My piece resembles the Egyptian form of the face, and the stiff poses of the people featured in hieroglyphs. However my piece has a deeper meaning of insecurity and protecting yourself from people or things that can hurt you if you don't keep your thoughts to yourself, while the wall of Kom Ombo temple tells a story, and is reminiscent of a book. The desert like background is simulating the emptiness of the mind, where the mushroom represents the build up of thoughts not shared, the yellow flowers represent the thoughts and feelings that were shared and accepted, the figure with a beautiful straight face and defensive stance is showing the need to protect themselves from the world. I had never worked with Photoshop before, and for this being my first piece using Photoshop, I am proud of what I have accomplished. I believe that I could have added and done more to the piece to make it more appealing. I had difficulty Figuring out what settings did what to the pictures used, and I could no figure out how to paint with the mouse, which would have made it a more complete piece.
ACT questions
ACT
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork?
The cause and reflect relationship between The wall of the Kom Ombo temple and my piece Insecure number was that the Kom Ombo temple featured Egyptian Hieroglyphs which were very stiff figures and are conformed to one look and style. This influenced the strong structure of the face in my piece and resulted in a stiff defensive figure.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The author was approaching the topic of the Kom Ombo temple from a historical stance, there was also an article from tourists explaining the overall experience of the temple and how mesmerizing it is and gave a stronger insight on the Egyptian culture.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
The Egyptian culture was heavily influenced by gods and higher beings such as Ra and Anubis. Their art featured a repeating theme of these gods influencing everyday life, and death. While I was researching this It was easy to assume that the Egyptian culture was heavily influenced by godlike creatures because of how often their art features them.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?.
The theme of my inspirational theme was to better understand the Egyptian art style and why they capture people so uniformed and stiff. I also wanted to better understand the connection to gods through their art.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
- While I was reading my research I was able to infer that people were depicted so uniformed because they were seen as less than the gods and presented themselves as sheep as if they were guided by some other being of higher power.
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork?
The cause and reflect relationship between The wall of the Kom Ombo temple and my piece Insecure number was that the Kom Ombo temple featured Egyptian Hieroglyphs which were very stiff figures and are conformed to one look and style. This influenced the strong structure of the face in my piece and resulted in a stiff defensive figure.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The author was approaching the topic of the Kom Ombo temple from a historical stance, there was also an article from tourists explaining the overall experience of the temple and how mesmerizing it is and gave a stronger insight on the Egyptian culture.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
The Egyptian culture was heavily influenced by gods and higher beings such as Ra and Anubis. Their art featured a repeating theme of these gods influencing everyday life, and death. While I was researching this It was easy to assume that the Egyptian culture was heavily influenced by godlike creatures because of how often their art features them.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?.
The theme of my inspirational theme was to better understand the Egyptian art style and why they capture people so uniformed and stiff. I also wanted to better understand the connection to gods through their art.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
- While I was reading my research I was able to infer that people were depicted so uniformed because they were seen as less than the gods and presented themselves as sheep as if they were guided by some other being of higher power.
Bibliography
“GuideHop.” Tour to Edfu Temple and Kom-Ombo Temple in Luxor, Luxor City, Egypt, guidehop.com/tours/luxor-luxor-city-egypt/tour-to-edfu-temple-and-kom-ombo-temple-1434
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Kawm Umbū.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 1 June 2016, www.britannica.com/place/Kawm-Umbu
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Kawm Umbū.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 1 June 2016, www.britannica.com/place/Kawm-Umbu