RATIONALE

I chose to do 'Paparazzi' by Lady Gaga for this assignment because I didn't know much of the other options. My own theme based on this song is the 7 deadly sins, which in a way is shown through this song/video. The first panel of the triptych portrays a girl with very luscious hair. This represents the idea of vanity/pride. My story is based on how she is obsessed with this really huge mirror where she can take many selfies. This images goes with the first verse of the song. "We are the crowd, we're co-coming out; Got my flash on it's true, need that picture of you…" 

The second panel is the left eye where the back of her head is towards us and her hair encompasses the mirror she desires. This panel portrays lust and greed. It goes along with the chorus of the song. "I'm your biggest fan, I'll follow you until you love me…chase you down until you love me, papa-paparazzi…" She wants that mirror no matter what so she can take better selfies. You can see hints of cracks on the mirror, which leads onto the final panel. 

The right eye may also represent greed but also anger. The cracked glass from the mirror creates a frantic mood. It cuts her hair but she still holds on because her greed is overpowering which eventually leads to her own destruction. It relates to the verse, "Shadow is burnt, yellow dance in return, my lashes are dry, purple tear drops I cry, loving you is cherry pie…" I have chosen to approach this narrative with a 3D collage approach because I wanted to work more with shapes and depth. 

FINALS

Yusssss! Ok so I am finally done with the actual triptych. Turned out much smaller than I had initially thought it would, but it works according to the detailing and materials I had.

It will be set out in a 'triangle' formation. It is ironic because Lady Gaga is referenced with the illuminati quite a lot and a way of symbolising it is the triangle shape. At the top will be the panel of the girl with her mirror and phone. Her hair waves should lead the eye down towards the 2nd and 3rd panels which are eyes.

Don't worry I'll add a better photo for the actual pdf

The mirror becomes the actual pupil of the eye and her hair becomes its frame. All the panels are placed on foam boards. My bad for the bad crafting. :( (FAIL)

This is how it would be composed on the wall.

MORE DEVELOPMENT

I had been working out the placement and sizing for the other two panels.


 

To make things easier and faster, I cut out all the shapes for all the panels and then painted them accordingly. I had already worked on the composition which made it easier beforehand. I'm usually a painterly type person, so trying to make something like this is very different for me.

DEVELOPMENT OF FINALS

After getting feedback for my final technique and process. I have decided to but down the size from an A2 to A3, that way the detailing and sizing is made easier and the hair shapes aren't so 'in your face'.
Before even painting the colours, I need to work out the placement of everything.

      

I need to make sure the hair flows down so that the eye is lead to both of the other 'eye' panels.

DECISION MAKING

I have my concept sorted and the technique I want to go ahead with. Because the technique I am using is based more on solid colours and shapes, I need to make sure I uses the right type of paper and colours. For the panel with the girl with a huge head of hair, I am struggling to decide if I should use big shapes or thinner strands to show more contrast?

For this I have used really thick cardboard and acrylic paint. The colours aren't as bright so I am thinking of using clear acrylic spray on top. I could always mix between thick and thin strands. Preferably for the thinner strands I would use a thinner paper.

So a sense of thickness yet fragility would be given. The colours will reinforce the idea of vanity. The backing is a foam board, a bit bigger than A2. 

INTERIM PRESENTATION

Well my stupid car had to break down on the day for interim and then I forgot to upload it. So my final idea so far is about how a crazy as sinister lady wants this really big victorian style mirror so she can take really cool selfies with it.

 

The image above shows a lady holding a photo of that victorian style mirror. in her hair are smaller mirrors and a camera/ cellphone so she can take selfies with it. Her hair is really big because I want to emphasise the fact that she is very vain which links back to my sin concept. Visually it is shown as if she is coming out of a mirror. 

The second image is conceptualised inside 'her eyes'. one eye being of the thing she really desires. You can see her in front of it but just her hair, so she isn't looking at the viewer but at herself. It isn't clear here but it will be a bit darker with the flash of her camera/cellphone going off, revealing some cracks in the mirror. 

This image of her second eye shows how the mirror is cracked with bits falling off. I was thinking to show how the glass breaking off, cuts her hair as she tries to keep the mirror together. In a way it is showing her destruction but still wants the mirror to stay together. 

The placement of all three triptychs will be having the lady at the top and then the eyes on the right and left side of it but further down. Creating like a triangular shape. The hair of the lady will flow in a way that the eye is lead to both and not just one of the other two panels. 

I guess reflecting back on these shows how much further I can go to show what I have written. The technique I will use is the layering collage technique, like the book one I have showed in class. It would still have that painterly look but with the touch of craft. 

I have found some examples but I'm now wondering if solid colours would look better or an actual painterly type technique. I can always just keep building up and changing things around.  

ARTIST MODEL #2

BUDI SATRIA KWAN

I am a 29 year old illustrator from Indonesia. My introduction to digital graphic happened 10 years ago. My career part was very long and winding. From bookshelf cleaner at a library to a construction supervisor and finally an illustrator.

I love the use of his colour palette and the fact that the illustration doesn't take up the whole page. It leaves space to think. Using objects to portray something else works well in the way he illustrates them, creating a new and appealing visual. I really enjoy this illustrative technique! 

http://www.budikwan.com

ARTIST MODEL #1

PETER D. GERAKARIS

Peter Gerakaris (b.1981, New Hampshire) is an American interdisciplinary artist whose kaleidoscopic artwork engages Nature - Culture motifs through painting, works on paper, accordion books, ad installation. 

His work is very bright and not always a plain canvas. The scale of some of his work is huge! 

 

Using patterns, textures, and shapes he creates his own narrative. His 'accordion' books create a new dimension for art and to a very big scale. 

His work has a very strong rhythm and   
movement to it.

There is so much going on and you can still view it from different areas as a story in itself. After looking at it for some time you can start to recognise familiar things.

http://www.petergerakaris.com

TRIPTYCH EXPLORATION

While drawing up thumbnails, I need to also take into account what media I will use and what sort of triptych style I want. If I use paint as my media, I would like to make the triptych more interactive and not as traditional by having 3 straight panels. 

Here are some ideas & inspirational work…

Instead of three panels in a row on a wall they could be set up like this. So the left and right panel would close like a door. It has that essence of mystery and once opened, it is revealed.














The framing and contour gives it a sort of 'traditional richness.' But being practical something like this would take up more time to make. The size would also have to be big enough to see the actual imagery inside. 

The idea of having it bend around a corner could work well. Instead of having hinges and closing/opening it can just be placed like a box so the viewer is encompassed by it.

Could even be a circular triptych split into 3 sections that spins according to how the viewer wants to see it. 

I found this technique very interesting. Using a book's pages and creating heaps of layers and a composition within it. The books would need to be quite large and full of pages. This would require more of a collage technique. 

THUMBNAILING

When thinking about it being a non-linear narrative, it does get a bit tricky to ideate and portray them into drawings. Somehow I wanted each panel to have an essence of a sin. 

 

I still don't feel as if I'm on the right track so any feedback and/or ideas would be great! 
(My song is Paparazzi by lady gaga) 

MOODBOARDS

BY researching more in-depth, I think this song shows signs of all the sins in some way whether through the lyrics or the video. For your own gain or desires you could go to any extent by committing sins along the way. It could also imply that fame is a sin in itself?

For the two verses and chorus I have chosen a sin to represent them. 

For the first verse:  

'We are the crowd, 

we are co-coming out, 

got my flash on it's true, 

need that picture of you, 

it's so magical, 

we'd be so fantastical… '             = PRIDE/VANITY

The Chorus:

'Promise I'll be kind,

But I won't stop until that boy is mine,

Baby, you'll be famous,

Chase you down until you love me,

Papa-paparazzi..'                                  = GREED

The other verse:

'Shadow is burnt,

Yellow dance in return,

My lashes are dry,

Purple tear drops I cry,

It don't have a price,

Loving you is cherry pie..'               = LUST

THE 7 DEADLY SINS

After researching the sins, you can start to link the verses with them and they definitely do show that. The emotion of lust can be understood from the chorus. "I'm your biggest fan, I'll follow you until you love me…" There is a sense of sexual desire there. When I think of the character, she would have 'wild' hair yet a sophisticated and sensual aura. 

Here is a list of the 7 deadly sins along with extra information:


SIN                        ANIMAL                     COLOUR

Pride/Vanity                 Horse                                 Violet
Envy                             Dog                                    Green
Anger                           Bear                                   Red
Sloth                            Goat                                   Light Blue
Greed                          Frog                                    Yellow
Gluttony                      Pig                                      Orange
Lust                            Cow                                     Blue

RESEARCH

THINKING & RESEARCH PROCESS

I have chosen to carry on with Paparazzi as my song inspiration. No one else is doing it so I think it works out in a way. Before class I was just sticking to the internet meaning of how it is about an 'obsessive love' and what not but now I've dug a bit in and realised that this song can also lead into the 7 sins. 

Instead of having a traditional triptych, I think its cool how we can play around with that idea and have the freedom of how to present it using various media. So far, I'm leaning towards digital painting or even an animation for one of the panels.  

I like this painterly and rough technique. I would also like to use bright colours for this assignment.