Visual Communications Emphasis
Before coming to WSU and entering the
art department, I only had a vague idea of the things that influenced
me. All I knew is that Japaneses animation (anime) and video games
had an influence on my work. I also liked realism since I felt that
was the best way to capture the attention of the viewer. My opinion
has since changed.
When I entered the art department I
signed up for Printmaking out of interest in the methods. There I
learned that I have a huge interest in illustrated
silhouettes. Linoleum cuts were my first foray into silhouettes and
it captured my attention immediately. A piece can be so simple by
having only two or three colors and yet can contain just as much
narrative and emotion as a realist work.
My work is often associated with themes
such as light and dark, good and evil, corrupt and innocent, etc.
While I enjoy employing these themes separately, I also often blur
the lines between them. There is a cultural belief that children are innocent and I like playing with this idea. I may portray the child as innocent or as it being the source of the evil. Since the two ideas are now competing,
it allows for interesting concepts. That is one reason why I chose
Lord of the Flies for my book cover (03). The idea that the children
were creating the evil and acting on it was interesting to me. I used
silhouettes for the characters which adds an aura of mystery and
connected them to the pig's skull which is the “evil” in their
minds. Another example is my Nursery Rhyme (02) which again is about
a child in a dark situation. The assignment was to illustrate a
nursery rhyme and I specifically chose one that would allow me to be
free with my ideas. It is not always possible to employ these themes,
but that just allows me to dabble in multiple territories.
To my original point, silhouettes allow
me to experiment with ideas of light and dark. Single colored figures
can be open to interpretation. What is behind that blackness of that
character? Are they innocent or is there something hidden in that
darkness?
I want to make a small mention on my
use of typography. If possible I try to play with type in some way. For example, in my WSU Performing Arts poster (09) I have large transparent type with smaller black type on top of it.
Both can still be read and the large type can be seen from a distance. In The Leonardo Brochure (10) I
changed the orientation of the type in the logo and included various
levels of transparency. Finally in my Lost and Uncharted publication
(11) I made some white lines interact with the background images and
had some type align with them instead of the grid used by the body
type. I try to make some type do something different without
it distracting from the other elements in each piece.
Since entering the art department, I
have been able to discover what interests me. I can honestly say it
has helped me figure out my identity as an artist. Others who know me
in the art department often joke because they know if they see a
piece that involves darkness or death, it probably belongs to me. I
am perfectly happy with that identity and will continue to pursue it.