Final Project: Visual Analysis and Final Blog

31.10.2022 - 2.12.2022 (Week 10 - Week 14)

Edwin Choo Quan Rong 0348305
Design Principles / Bachelor Of Design (Hons) In Creative Media


Final Project: Visual Analysis and Final Blog

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This project has two parts: Visual Analysis and Design

Visual Analysis: There are 3 parts to visual analysis: Observation, Analysis and Interpretation
One artwork/design that follows the theme of "Reduced Inequalities" is to be chosen and applied the 3 parts of visual analysis.

Design: Create a work of design that is influenced by the selected design and have a 200-word rationale explaining the design created.

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Fig 1.0 - "New Republic. Inequality" by Sam Chivers
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/1148347604961481851/

Rationale

I chose this illustration because I think it represents social inequality. The man on the exercise bike above is able to afford the usage of a gym and phone, compared to the people at the bottom running on wheels without proper gym attire and equipment. I also believe this composition brings an important message that people at the bottom work harder for people at the top that is not putting in the same effort.do 

Phase 1: Observation

The illustration is depicted in portrait format. The colors include red, yellow, blue, black, silver and grey. The design has a diagonal split near the center. Round and rectangular shapes are used throughout the composition, from the big wheels near the bottom of the composition and the exercise bike above. There are a group of people running inside the wheel below as the man above sits leisurely while checking his phone.

Phase 2: Analysis

The largest object in the design is the big round wheel below the floor, acting as the emphasis. There is repetition with multiple people. From the main wheel, the colorful elements of the people running draws the viewer's eye while their running motion depicts movement. Their colors contrasts with the silver wheel and grey background. A red line leads up from the wheel to above surface (movement), connecting to the exercise bike. There is repetition in terms of lines across the floor. Overall, there is contrast in colors between the top and bottom part of the design diagonally separated by the floor. The repetition of colors from the whole design brings unity to the artwork.

Phase 3: Interpretation
After a complete look at the design, the person is at a gym, relaxing on the exercise bike while other people are spinning the wheel of the bike for him. I depict the meaning of this design as exploiting others for self benefit. The man is using the people knowingly, or unknowingly, as he cannot see below the floor, to do his workout. This could represent the difference in social class, where the lower class works for the top while they relax. This illustration was created on October 2014 for a book review of  "The Great Escape: Health, Wealth, and the Origins of Inequality" by Angus Deaton for New Republic Magazine.

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Initial Ideas

Fig 1.1 - Idea #1

I want to depict the theme of people using others for self benefit, so I include people using others as "stepping stones" to pass the mountain gaps representing the difficult journey they have to traverse through and reach the flag which represents their goals. 

Fig 1.2 - Idea #2

This is about the person in higher social class controlling the person in lower class for their benefit. I want to use a board game to represent the lower class being a game that the higher class plays around with, having full control of their actions.

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Progress

Fig 1.3 - Idea #1 Development

I added people climbing the mountain (lower class) to showcase their struggle in comparison to the person in the lift (higher class) going up with ease to depict the different benefits of people in different social classes. The people being used as "stepping stones" like a bridge are also falling towards the ground as if their usefulness has met the expectations of the higher class, thus being discarded and forming the sea of lower class people below struggling to survive.

Fig 1.4 - Progress work for final

Feedback

Week 13: Experiment with different color schemes and also add more rocky mountains to fill up the background. The depiction of the privileged (businessman) and the less privileged (workers) to be more distinct. Test with enlarging them to see better detail. 

Fig 1.5 - Progress

Progress work filling up the right side of "lower class" people of different occupations being used as stepping stones by the evil businessman. Red sky to have a gloomy atmosphere.

Fig 1.6 - Final

Added facial expressions as the finishing touch to depict how each individual feel for less privileged and more privileged. The final artwork is to depict how people in higher social class uses others in lower social class for their own personal benefit or to reach a specific goal, in this case it is money.