Assignment 2 :Type Expression

Assignment 2 : Artist Statement

MEDIA ART 1 : MMA1113
Assignment 02 Brief : Type Expression
 -Project Brief-
Name           : Goh Wen Shyan
ID                 : 1112701437
Artwork Title : Depression

Artist Statement : The message behind this artwork is to express depression. As I know, depression is a feeling of being locked up in a dark room without an exit. If there was an easy exit, then evidently we would open it right away, but we didn’t because we don’t have the key to unlock the door and escape from the dark room. That’s why we can only see what is outside from the key hole which is freedom. Regarding to Type Expression assignment, the font I use is Century Gothic which is from San Serif typeface. the reason behind the alphabet C represents the top part of the key hole. Besides that the black color symbolizes empty space, sadness, darkness and loneliness. Moreover, the reason why I apply grey color to the alphabet C is to make it feel dull and boring. Other than that, the light grey is to represent light from the outside which is freedom.
Artist Treatment :
Alphabet C – represent the top part of the key hole
Black Color – represent the empty space, darkness
Light Grey – represent the light from outside and freedom
                              

Research on Depression

One of the many problems of depression is that we can think clearly only in hindsight, while during those dark episodes when clarity of thought might be most helpful, we cannot get a grip on it. This means that often, we can see the good reason of well-meant advice only in retrospection, when such advice is less urgently needed.

    I was reminded of this when reading another depression blog: Christine Stapleton’s well-written (she’s a professional journalist) Depression On My Mind at the PsychCentral website. I like it, though I cannot always share her points of view. Last week she looked back at a major bout of depression she had six years ago: The Day My Depression Ate Me.

Two remarks in Christine’s post gave me some food for thought. First quote:

“In hindsight, and only in hindsight, can I see the gifts given to me by that last depression. I became open-minded, humble and patient. I learned to surrender, trust and have faith. I learned how my body – and especially my brain – work.”

    Does depression, once we’ve more or less overcome it, really leave us gifts? Sure, sometimes we can learn from the experience. But depression can also horribly (and permanently) damage us. I would say it leaves us not with gifts, but with scars.

    Certainly, I can share the state of mind she describes. I also do feel more “open-minded, humble and patient” than some years ago; I also learned a little better “to surrender, trust and have faith”; I also got a little more insight in the reactions of my body and brain. But would I describe that as “gifts given to me by depression”? No. On the contrary: I think that I got where I am today in spite of depression.

    I think the change of mind described by Stapleton is not the fruit of depression at all: that it is rather a natural, positive consequence of getting older and wiser. The older we get, the more we learn from our own experiences: this is something that (hopefully) happens regardless whether we’ve been severely depressed or not.

    Let me try to make myself clear with an example. Two years ago, I had a difficult gall bladder operation with nasty complications. Since recovering, I’ve become more aware of the frailty of my body, and more grateful for functioning normally again. Now would I describe this increased awareness as a “gift given to me by my gall bladder operation”? Frankly, I prefer to see it as a gift given to me by my willingness to look back and reflect. It was not given to me by my physical problems, but by my own ability to draw conclusions from what I’d experienced.

    So for myself, I don’t see the scars of my depressions as a gift. As for the positive things in my present life (like the fact that I’m well enough again to be writing this blog) I don’t see that as a gift either. Rather, I see that as a hard-won achievement.

Second quote from Christine Stapleton’s blog post:

“If you are in your black hole and your soul is hollow, your face is limp and you can only stare into an abyss, know that this is not real. It feels real. Very, very real. More real than anything you have ever felt in your life. But it is not. What you are feeling is not life. It is depression. It will not always be like this. Please trust me. Do not give up.”

    I completely agree that in the fight against depression, there are many reasons to never give up!

    But I have a little trouble with the suggestion that depression is “not real”. Just like my gall bladder complications were very real, my depression is very real. Stating otherwise sounds like a kind of simplification, like a denial to me. Almost like you would be able to make problems go away just by telling yourself that those problems are “not real”. I don’t think this will work; I feel that in some situations, such self-deception can even be dangerous.

    Of course this is not what Stapleton meant here. What she meant is just that the bleak perception of life, when you are depressed, is a distorted perception and not the real life: that the real life is how you see it at moments when you’re not depressed. There is some truth in this. I suppose that at times I’ve tried to say something similar myself. So what’s the problem here?

    The problem is that when you say a depressed view of life is not reflecting real life, this is only true after you’ve come out of your depression. As Christine already said herself, the depressed perception does feel very real. And to me, this means that for as long as you are feeling depressed, it is real. For in a way, you are what you feel. Life is what you actually feel. Life is not just what we’re supposed to feel when we are fine, but also what we feel when we are depressed.

Depression is like being locked up in a kind of dark room without an obvious exit. If there was such an easy escape door, then evidently we all would open it right away.

    But can we say that being locked up inside that oppressive room is not real life, that our real life is that lighter one that is temporarily suspended, waiting somewhere outside? To me, this is a negation of our own depressed feelings (of oneself) that will work only in hindsight.

    And even in hindsight, at better moments when I’m capable of wandering through the green pastures of “real life” again, a sudden recollection of that closed depression room can still be frightfully real. So real, that often I’ll try to focus on something else in my environment immediately, for fear of that dark, merciless reality coming down on me full force again.

Conclusion?

None. This is no matter of being right or wrong; it’s more a matter of attitude. Perhaps Stapleton’s blog reflects a little more of that stubborn positive-labeling attitude that sometimes I think is a typical American quality. For some, this works. For others, it doesn’t. For myself, such positivism requires a kind of optimistic naivety I cannot always muster: in fact, a healthy little dose of sarcasm or even cynicism can occasionally do much more to lift my mood.

Well, maybe I wrote this comment because I feel just a little depressed today.

As musical accompaniment here, nothing is more fitting than a highly effective sample of British irony: Monty Python with their famous 1979 song Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, sung by Eric Idle.
    They are both positive (like Christine Stapleton) and a bit sarcastic (like…) at the same time. What exactly you hear, will depend from your mood. The only thing that matters is that perhaps they’ll make you smile:

Article From : http://stayontop.org/2012/05/06/the-bright-side/ 

For more information About Depression  :  http://www.booksie.com/thrillers/short_story/miss_a/the-dark-room

Assignment 2 : Idea Development (Thumbnails & Sketches)

Mind Map

Thumbnails 1

Thumbnails  2

Thumbnails 3

Thumbnails 4

Thumbnails 5

Thumbnails 6

1.Using Adobe photoshop to create a Font "C" and turn it face to down

2.Set the background to the grey

3.create a light grey color inside font "C"

credit by: www.123RF.com

credit by: www.123RF.com

Idea Development:Thumbnails & Sketches & Process

Mind Map

Sketcch 2

Sketch 2

Sketch 3

                                                                  The Rose

               Final Artwork

Assignment 1 : Project Brief

MEDIA ART 1 : MMA1113
Assignment 1 Brief : Visual Expression

 -Project Brief-
Name           : Goh Wen Shyan
ID                 : 1112701437
Artwork Title : Love Equal to Drunk

Artist Statement : The message behind this artwork is about negative
of love which is “Break-Up” . As I know that when break up we will
suffer, besides that if we’re suffering we will go and get some alcohol,
so that’s why I use a bottle of beer to represent the “Sadness and
Broken-Hearted”. As we know red rose usually symbolize sweet love,
in my artwork this red rose represents “broken love”, the rose that is
facing down means that love is getting worse and I still remain the
color of the rose and burnt it to get a broken effect on the red rose.
This means that the rose is not perfect, complete, beautiful and not a
perfect love it used to be.

Artist Treatment : A bottle of beer - represent sadness.
                           : One Rose           - represent love.
                           : Lighter               - to make a broken effect on the
                                                          rose

Research About Rose - That Represent "Love"

the ~Language of Flowers~ originated in Persia in the 15th century, and was brought to Europe in the 18th centuary. In the 19th century, this ~floral code~ became popular and people sent messages in bouquets to each other. Since each flower, colour, and number had a specific meaning, conversations between lovers took place without a single word being used. Roses are the perfect gifts to convey your emotions.
Check them out .....

ROSES & COLOR

Red roses signify love and respect.
Red roses are used for Lovers and stand for respect and courage; they mean love; unity; romantic and passionate love; love.
Amaranth Red - Long Standing Desire
Cardinal Red - Sublime Desire
Carmine Red- Deceitful Desire
Firey Red- Flames of Passion

Black roses signify death hatred and farewell. Used at funerals.
A single black rose was used by a close friend and or loved one leaving for a war or on a journey he did not expect to return from.


Orange and Coral roses imply desire.



Lavender/Purple roses stand for grace, gentility, elegance and refinement.
It is the rose of sweet thoughts, adds enchantment and indicates opulence or majesty.
Lavender roses are also referred to as blue roses.



Peach and Pale colored roses convey sociability and friendship.
Peach roses are also referred to as Pink roses.



Show appreciation or gratitude with pink roses.
Send light pink roses to say you understand, you're sympathetic or you're sorry if someone is ill.



Red & White roses together, or white roses with red edges mean Unity.



Red & Yellow roses together convey happy feelings, gaiety, joviality and happiness



Orange & Yellow roses together mean enthusiasm, desire and passionate thoughts.


White and Coral together, You’re heavenly and I desire you.



Yellow roses symbolize joy and friendship.
Yellow roses in the victorian times meant jealousy. Today they are a sign of friendship, joy, gladness and freedom. They are used for wedding showers.
In Islamic folklore, they symbolize deceit, treachery, and adultery.
In Mexico yellow roses/flowers are a sign of death.
In France yellow roses/flowers represent infidelity.



Send a dozen white roses when you want to connote secrecy, innocence or purity.
White roses symbolize reverence and humility.
Virgin Mary is represented by a white rose as a symbol of her purity.
In American culture, the white roses symbolize security and happiness and are used for weddings.
The white rose is also known as the ~Flower of Light.~
In Scotland when the white rose bloomed in autumn it was seen as a sign of early marriage.
In Wales, white roses represent innocence and silence, and are often placed on the grave of a young child.
In Asian tradition, white stands for the ultimate absence; death.
In Vietnam, the white rose is worn on Mother's Day for those whose mothers have passed away
Red rose is worn on Mother's Day for those with mothers still alive.



ROSES & NUMBERS

1 Rose Simplicity	2 Roses Gratitude
2 Roses Joined Together Engagement; Coming Marriage	12 Roses Ultimate declaration of love
25 Roses Congratulations	50 Roses Unconditional Love
Bouquet of Mature Blooms Gratitude	Single Rose in Full Bloom I Love You; Engagement
Full Blown Rose Placed Over Two Buds Secrecy	Half-blown Rose Timid love
Thornless Roses Love At First Sight; Ingratitude; Early attachment	Rose Leaf Symbol of Hope
Rose Thorn Danger	Rose in a tuft of grass Everything to be gained by good company

ROSES & POSITION
Bent to the right - ~I~
Bent to the left - ~You~
Ribbon knotted on the left - Message from the giver
Ribbon knotted on the right - Message about the recipient
Accepted with right hand - Agreement, affirmative
Accepted with left hand - Disagreement, negative
Worn over heart - Love
Worn in hair - Caution
Worn in clevage - Frendship, Rememberance