DOGA COBANOGLU
DOGA COBANOGLU
VISUAL ART
VISUAL ART
Pre-unit E-portfolio
Investigating:
Barbara Kruger
Context:
PERSONAL CONTEXT:
Kruger’s background in visual design through her education reflects the usage of photography and editing in her work (BarbaraKuger, 2003). She has worked in Condé Nast Publications and Mademoiselle Magazine both large media sources. Her work in media may have exposed her to issues around the world. Thus her work now reflects aspects of “feminism, classicism, consumerism, and individual autonomy and desire”(BarbaraKuger, 2003) going against media choices.Her education and work surrounded by graphic designs and influences may have enabled her clear concise communication of ideas.
WIDER CONTEXT:
Released in 1989, at the time there was an anti-abortion movement, contradicting previous abortion laws made in 1973 (The Board, 1989). The work supports the many protests in Washington around her fulfilling the right of a woman over her body. It was a time of social change for women and their ability to choose over their body.
I believe these circumstances influenced Kruger and gave way to her intention to support her own ideas publicly on a current issue around her. Her job and previous work enabled her to be familiar with media and editing.
Content + techniques/processes:
Lalla Essaydi
Context:
PERSONAL CONTEXT:
Essaydi’s past in Morocco develops her personal identity thus her work at time reflects as she states herself ‘arab woman culture’ through the clothing, colours and more (Converging Territories, n.d.). Her usage of calligraphy is due to her past experience of being unable to use it as a woman to have it inaccessible. Thus her painting proposes other wise. Her movement to the western side enabled her range of communication to expand and produce these art works.
WIDER CONTEXT:
Still currently woman at times in her home land and growing up woman face inequality in means of their past time, work, clothing and more. By creating art representing woman of free hair writing in calligraphy this represents a silent protest to the woman who are silently oppressed. I believe this links greatly with the current social change of the me too movement, woman permitted to drive in Saudi Arabia and various more examples of development of equality in given society. Although there is a large amount of development to undergo which the artists faced growing up thus her artwork is able to portray the direction she is headed in. I believe the circumstances of curren woman empowerment and freedom of speech in contemporary art has influenced migrated Essaydi to depict her opinion in how she did so, openly and graciously.
Content + techniques/processes:
Shirin Neshat
Context:
PERSONAL CONTEXT:
Neshat was born in 1957 Iran and grew up in a time of islamic revolution in the 1970s (Khan Academy, 2018). She received Catholic education and was additionally educated in California where she understood western perspective. Once returning home she faced islamic changes imposed upon women regarding the way they would behave and dress. Thus her surrounding woman back home, her country and her current education outside enabled her to express the injustice woman receive due to political influence and conversion. The calligraphy a representation of woman made poetry on their views of current events. While the veil a symbol of enforcement.
WIDER CONTEXT:
How does the work link with the social, cultural or political history of the time? The rat links with the current and past extreme islamic enforcement in Iran impacting the society and culture of all citizens, more upon woman too. Post revolution or social change the shah loss brought upon a new circumstance controlling the behavior of the people. This impacted their lives and the direction they were moving in. Neshat’s art reflects the views on woman in the situation through her own ‘culture’ stigma.
Content + techniques/processes:
Converging Territories. (n.d.). Lalla Essaydi. Retrieved November 29, 2018, from http://lallaessaydi.com/3.html
Present Barbara Kruger. (2003). Home - Barbara Kruger - Photograph Collage, Advertising, Slogans, Art. Retrieved November 29, 2018, from http://www.barbarakruger.com/
Shirin Neshat, Rebellious Silence, Women of Allah series. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/global-contemporary/a/neshat-rebellious
The Broad. (n.d.). Untitled (Your body is a battleground). Retrieved November 29, 2018, from https://www.thebroad.org/art/barbara-kruger/untitled-your-body-battleground
(BarbaraKuger, 2003).
(Converging Territories, n.d.)
Khan Academy, 2018)
Planning
Choosing an idea: Illusion of freedom. Involving political influence and governmental overlook on people, the ability to brain wash. Issue: enforced totalitarianism.
Understanding the direction to go in:
Statement of intent:
I intend to create an art piece depicting the state of citizens in countries who are under strong totalitarian governmental influence. I will do this through depicting a human in a state of sleep walking through a dream like world where their eyes are closed, unaware of what is happening. The destination they will go through will require paperwork, upon the paper work there will be small but a large amount of text stating what regulations one is under in this governmental situation such as: "let me control you" "do not question" "sign here" and more. behind the paperwork will be a destination: welcome to oblivion!
I will do this on photoshop. The majority of the piece will be images and text on the paper work of size 8 font in typical common arial, the reason it will be small is governments do not state directly the power they want to impose in one direction but indirectly. Additionally the typical arial font will represent the repeat of this typical propaganda throughout history to benefit the expanding industrial country. The person will be gray representing the gray area of knowledge they are under, The world before the oblivion will be colourful patterned; radicalisation. Oblivion will be dark and gloomy, a direct contrast of the ideas one receives in both areas.
Success Criteria:
1. Depict the individual in relation to the government who imposes on them in terms of visual and textual methods within the piece.
2. Utilise a minimum of four images overlapped to create a range of textures, colours and visuals.
Inspiration:
(Arell, 2016)
(Wuerker, 2018)
(Ouzonian, 2018)
(Quick Meme, n.d.)
(Medscape, 2018)
(Cartoon Movement, 2017)
I chose to compose the main 3 objects in the composition aside: the sleeping figure walking towards a table with paper work needed to walk in to the sign showing oblivion. The paperwork will have more text in the final piece regarding the circumstances one faces once brainwashed under totalitarian propaganda. Additionally past the table the signs range from oblivion, propaganda session, how to apply totalitarianism and so on.
In terms of colour, there is a clear and concise contrast between the two zones the figure is coming and going in to. This enables distinction of radical versus pressed thoughts. Thus the grey or black area signifies your opinion being suppressed and identical to others. While the colour is a form of diversity and a range of opinions and thoughts one may have when in a state of freedom.
Final Piece:
