Design Principles Task 2
Melvin Yung Khun Yew | 0357241 | Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative
Media
GCD60804 Design Principles
Visual analysis of artwork
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| Fig 1.1 UNSDG |
These are the jump links to each part of this portfolio
Instructions
Mdm Yip Jinchi who's my module coordinator, gave our class
a quick brief on the module information about the upcoming assignments, marked
as an open-ended assignment with continuous progression to form a limitless
product/design.
MIB - Module Information Booklet
Work Process
In this task, I want to have a deeper understanding and analysis of the selected artwork targeting "Peace, Justice and Strong Institution"
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| "One Love" by Emily Deechaleune |
Based on the artwork, I've created multiple questions to analyze and comprehend the artwork deeper.
- What is the artwork about?
The artwork theme is about love and peace, in conjunction with the 16th UNSDG goal "Peace, Justice and Strong Institution". - Who is the artist & why did he/she create like that?
Emily Deechaleune
The viral artist on social media, Emily Deechaleune. From old times until the present time, there have been non-stop conflicts and wars that cause unnecessary casualties. Thus, she felt the need to convey the peace message to every part of the community, contributing little by little towards the world peace goal. - How does the artwork work and be effective in communicating the message to current society?
It works as a direct visual communication using the peace symbol without excessive graphics. For the hustle society nowadays and the new skim-reading norm, this poster allows the viewer to grasp hold of the message in seconds without the need to spend time analyzing and understanding the complexity.Complex but with more emotions
(Stay and look by Banksy, 2007)Simple but fewer emotions
(Image credit: Freepik) - Why does the artwork style still work nowadays?
In the artwork, the peace symbol (or so-called the CND symbol in Britain) has been an iconic symbol of peace from the 1950s until now. As it is still used by activists, organisations, and individuals on the Internet for advocating for peace and other causes due to its simplicity and powerful message, even though its popularity has varied over time.The population of the peace sign on Pinterest
Even for the recent wars from around the world, there are hundreds and thousands of artworks revolving around the peace symbol. (Israel-Hamas war, Ukraine-Russia war)Peace symbol art on Pinterest - Why does it stand out more compared to the other artworks?
The simplicity of the poster design makes the whole visual far more easier for comprehension at first glance. - What is the thing that it lacks when compared to the other modern artworks?
It lacks the overall graphic representation of the war conflicts, as not all generations know the general meaning of the peace sign. The disadvantage of using the arbitrary symbol is that not all people can truly understand the message hidden in the symbol as it has no visual similarity to the feature or message it represents.Arbitrary symbols
Moreover, the direct appliance of the plain colour peace symbol in the poster makes it lack emotion, which is one of the most important key factors to successfully transmit a message to a wider group. - Why did the artist use the Mandela/zentangle art style here?
The artist only states that the art style is relaxing whenever she is expressing her mind through watercolour art.
Observation
From the portrait-oriented artwork, I observed a white background peace symbol when viewed from a general perspective. This artwork poster consists of two main elements which are the graphics and typography. There is the Earth with a blue ocean and vibrant colours of land with the mandala/zentangle art on the continents. Based on the art style, I find that the abstract art is based on the concentric diagram (Mandala) which is usually a circular geometry pattern but the artist also merges the free-form abstract art called zentangle into the mandala style. Talking about the text in the poster, the text "LOVE EACH OTHER" and "WORLD PEACE" are all handwritten with a brush with a nice little touch-up of the stickman figures at the side of the text. It seems like the stickmen are pulling and spreading the text around the globe. (144 words)Cool observation: The continents drawn on the Earth show America, Europe and Africa (Western countries) as the artist Emily Deechaleune was born and raised in Massachusetts, USA. There is a possibility that the common geography of the Earth she learned is around those continents. (If she's from a different country such as Asia maybe the illustration will be different)
Additional info: What is the difference between mandala and zentangle art?
Mandala arts from Europosters & TenStickers
- Mandalas are concentric diagram that holds a spiritual & meditative meaning. They have been around for many ages & hold a strong significance in the Hindu, Buddhist, and many other cultures.
On the other hand, Zentangle art is a simple yet fascinating new art form created by combining simple and structured patterns on square paper tiles. (Halder Sumita, 2021) - Meaning
A mandala is a Sanskrit word for circles that conveys two distinct concepts: first, it provides a visual representation of the universe, and second, it reflects your inner self. Mandalas have an extensive spiritual background, so they have both a vibrant visual appearance and a deep spiritual meaning. Mandalas are more than just for entertainment; they can also be used as a spiritual tool to channel your subconscious thoughts.
The zentangle art form is all about creating art pieces that help the creator achieve a state of meditation. It is an unplanned art form that allows you to enjoy the process of creating art without being concerned about the outcome. Zentangles are often referred to as "Zen-art" because they help to calm and reboot the mind. - Symbolism
Mandalas are circular designs with intricate patterns that represent the unity of the universe and its ecosystem. The entire circular pattern of the mandala is interconnected, just like everything in the universe. Traditionally, people would include the presence of Budha in abstract form to add a spiritual dimension to their artwork. The centre of the mandala should always be a dot, representing a free dimension and devotion to spiritual power. Furthermore, the circular nature of mandalas symbolises the cyclical nature of life.
The symbolism of zentangle can be seen in its name, as the word "zen" implies meditation and the word "tangle" implies doodles. It enables the creator to pursue his creative instincts and discover himself. You can express your deepest creativity by drawing simple curves, S-curves, and dots, among other things. - Both mandala and zentangle enable us to be creative and expressive while at the same time as a form of relaxation to restore inner peace.
Analysis
The first thing a viewer can notice is the arbitrary peace symbol utilizing the negative spaces of the art or the so-called Principle of Closure/Principle of Figure. All the visual elements are aligned together to create a symmetrical balance. The viewer tends to fill up the complete shape of the peace symbol ☮ in the artwork even though it's not illustrated obviously. In the artwork, the vibrant colour of the Earth and the monotonous white background create a contrast to increase the point of interest of the art piece. There are repetition patterns in the mandala/zentangle art on the continents. The words written have the same meaning and communicate the goal with the visuals, thus the visual compositions complement each other to create unity in the artwork. (127 words)
Peace symbol in the artwork
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| Patterns formed by repetitions |
Interpretation
This poster is created by the artist Emily Deechaleune from Massachusetts, USA in the year 2015. This viral online artist has created this stunning piece that embodies the contemporary art movement, which has been popular since the 1980s. This art movement consists of a diverse range of styles and techniques, engagement of current themes and reflection of past and modern subjects. As seen from the art piece, it's influenced by a variety of art movements which is observed from the Earth's vibrant colours that are similar to the pop art movement in the 1950s and the mandala and zentangle art closely resembling the abstract art movement. What sets apart contemporary art from other art movements is its engagement with social and political issues, as shown by the messages of "LOVE EACH OTHER" and "WORLD PEACE" on the artwork. (137 words)
Feedback
Week 4
When analyzing the artwork further, you can ask questions to yourself on how this artwork works nowadays.
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