Digital Collage
"Equality"
Size: 24x36cm
Medium: Digital Collage
Date: September, 2016
This piece was created to showcase how gender inequality is still very evident in today's world. Inspired by Barbara Kruger, this work was created with an intent to create a powerful message about unequal pay. I placed "Equal work.." on an equal sign that covers both the man and the woman to symbolize how when both genders are stripped down, we are only really separated by our features, and that all genders are capable of the accomplishing the same things. All images used are my own.
Artistic Inspiration
My digital collage piece was inspired by Barbara Kruger and the contemporary art period. I admire Barbara Kruger and her ability to creative such powerful messages about identity, gender, beauty, society, etc. through black and white images and bold red and white text. I was inspired by Barbara Kruger to create my piece because she has some extremely powerful and bold feminist artworks, and I wanted my digital collage to be as strong and bold. Barbara Kruger was able to become such an iconic artist by taking pictures directly from magazines or media viewed by the public, and layering them with short quotes criticizing common stereotypes and expectations. Her work aims to sell an idea to the viewer. This is how I got inspired to critique the idea of gender inequality and unequal pay by layering a short quote on top of an image.
Barbara Kruger also often uses the quotes in her work to cover eyes, mouths, etc. on the people in the photographs she picks. This inspired me to turn the words not only into something that criticizes a common idea in my peice, but also into something that ironically covers up the differences in the man and woman (by placing the equal sign on top of them both).
Many of Barbara Kruger works shows two different opposite sides of the same image (ex: Your Body is a Battleground, below). This inspired me to create even more of a contrast between the man and the woman with the blue and pink background. Blue is often associated with the birth of a little boy and pink with a little girl. This shows that this idea of bias towards one gender is ingrained into our minds from birth.
Barbara Kruger also often uses the quotes in her work to cover eyes, mouths, etc. on the people in the photographs she picks. This inspired me to turn the words not only into something that criticizes a common idea in my peice, but also into something that ironically covers up the differences in the man and woman (by placing the equal sign on top of them both).
Many of Barbara Kruger works shows two different opposite sides of the same image (ex: Your Body is a Battleground, below). This inspired me to create even more of a contrast between the man and the woman with the blue and pink background. Blue is often associated with the birth of a little boy and pink with a little girl. This shows that this idea of bias towards one gender is ingrained into our minds from birth.
Kruger, Barbara. Untitled (Your Body Is a Battleground). 1989. "The Inaugural Installation", The Broad, Los Angeles. Web.
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Kruger, Barbara, Untitled (We Don’t Need Another Hero), 1987. Photoscreenprint on vinyl. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York. Web.
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Kruger, Barbra. Untitled (Not Stupid Enough). 1997. Web.
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Brainstorming
After writing the digital collage essay, I knew that I wanted to focus my digital collage project on feminism. To the left are the ideas that I originally had which included a spin off of Michelangelo's Vientiane Man using a barbie doll to show the expectations and wants of society for girls to look a certain way.
Some of my other brainstorming ideas included focusing on different stances between genders, defeating gender stereotypes, and stereotyping in the unconscious mind (or being taught a bias since birth). The planning sketches that I drew represented different ways that I thought I might be able to visually communicate these ideas.
In the end I decided I wanted to do something focused on unequal pay. I focused some of my artwork on the planning sketch of the ripped dollar bill. I thought that this could symbolize the idea that women only get paid roughly 80% of what men get paid for doing the same job.
I wanted to layer a quote criticizing gender inequality in the workplace on top of an equal sign so that my artwork could give off the same feeling as much of Barbara Kruger's work. Two of my ideas for quotes included:
"Unequal pay, equal work"
"You think men and women are equal"
I ended up using the first one because it revolved more around my main theme, unequal pay.
Some of my other brainstorming ideas included focusing on different stances between genders, defeating gender stereotypes, and stereotyping in the unconscious mind (or being taught a bias since birth). The planning sketches that I drew represented different ways that I thought I might be able to visually communicate these ideas.
In the end I decided I wanted to do something focused on unequal pay. I focused some of my artwork on the planning sketch of the ripped dollar bill. I thought that this could symbolize the idea that women only get paid roughly 80% of what men get paid for doing the same job.
I wanted to layer a quote criticizing gender inequality in the workplace on top of an equal sign so that my artwork could give off the same feeling as much of Barbara Kruger's work. Two of my ideas for quotes included:
"Unequal pay, equal work"
"You think men and women are equal"
I ended up using the first one because it revolved more around my main theme, unequal pay.
Process
Taking pictures:
At first I didn't know which idea I would go through with, so I took pictures for two of my different ideas.
The first pictures were for a digital collage focusing on the idea of being "dragged" into everyday gender stereotypes. In this image, I was wearing a military jacket and combat boots so that I could show that it was okay for women to fulfill jobs and identities usually held by men. The first image was taken on the same level as me laying down, but I didn't think that the angle was high enough. To fix this, i took the next picture from above so that if I cut myself out with photoshop, i could be smooth and proportioned against the background and when layered with other images. When I decided to experiment with my final idea, I took the pictures shown on the left of me and my friend standing straight up in the same position. I decided to take these images in an enclosed alleyway. I liked this location because the background was very symmetrical and the background also reminded me of one point perspective, so I thought that it really brought more focus to the main subject, or person. In these photographs, we are wearing a small amount of clothing so that it could be hidden behind the equal sign that I would place over both of us later in Photoshop. I wanted us both to be standing in the same position so that 1) I could put the same equal sign over the both of us, and 2) to emphasize the idea of gender equality. |
Experimenting with photoshop:
The image to the left shows me trying to cut my friend out from the background using the lasso tool in Photoshop. I had used Photoshop only once before this project, so I was pretty much learning everything new. In the beginning, it was difficult for me to get clean edges because there was not a lot of contrast between the background and the image. To help me with this, I used the refine edges tool, which helped to blur lines and create a more smooth cut-out edge. When creating the equal sign that would be placed over both of the people, I at first had trouble getting both lines even, but then I just made the second on top of the other so that it would be the same size and then dragged it where I wanted it.
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After cutting all of my main images out from their backgrounds and placing them together, I experimented with different image filters. Kruger inspired me to use a filter that reminded me of an old newspaper or magazine clipping, and that was also black and white. I layered the same filter over the image multiple times to create a more intense contrast between light and dark hues. This made the man and the woman look less identifiable. This was good because I wanted my pieces to not only be about me, but to speak for a problem that has taken over the whole world.
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Reflection
Overall, I'm pretty pleased with the way my final artwork turned out. I like how it holds a sense of irony between the separation of the genders, and then the equal sign which is contradictory, I think that I did a pretty good job on making connections in my piece to my artists inspiration- hues, the choice to use words, and the overall theme/message that I was trying to convey all relate back to Barbara Kruger and the contemporary art period. I also like how I was able to place the man and the woman figure so that they are almost "standing" on the foundations of gender stereotypes and expectations which symbolizes the struggle of trying to let go of these norms.
If I were to change anything or improve upon anything in the future, I would make sure that (if I was using Photoshop) I would take images that have lots of contrast with the background so that they are more easily and smoothly cut out using the lasso tool. Next time I may also want to learn more Photoshop techniques so that I could do more with my work. I think that not knowing too much about Photoshop was okay for this project, but i'd like to learn more in the future.
If I were to change anything or improve upon anything in the future, I would make sure that (if I was using Photoshop) I would take images that have lots of contrast with the background so that they are more easily and smoothly cut out using the lasso tool. Next time I may also want to learn more Photoshop techniques so that I could do more with my work. I think that not knowing too much about Photoshop was okay for this project, but i'd like to learn more in the future.
Connecting this artwork to the ACT:
1) How are you able to identify the cause-effect relationships between your inspiration and its effect upon your artwork?
When researching Barbara Kruger, my artistic inspiration, I made a mental list of aspects in her art that made it stand out boldly. This was the direct inspiration for the theme and aspects of my work. For example, she inspired me to turn the equal sign that covers the two boys into a quote.
2) What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
I believe that the author is more or less disgusted by gender inequality, and I think that this motivates her to create such controversial pieces of artwork.
3) What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
Through my research on feminism, I have discovered that many people consider feminists as prude females who just want to overpower males. In my point of view, this generalization is not accurate in the cases of true feminists, and may be just adding to the mess that was created.
4) What was the central idea for theme around your inspirational research?
The central theme was most obviously gender equality through unequal pay, but also a hidden bias that's deep in our minds.
5) What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I made the inference that artists like Barbara Kruger were/are probably very controversial due to themes and ideas that they express through art.
When researching Barbara Kruger, my artistic inspiration, I made a mental list of aspects in her art that made it stand out boldly. This was the direct inspiration for the theme and aspects of my work. For example, she inspired me to turn the equal sign that covers the two boys into a quote.
2) What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
I believe that the author is more or less disgusted by gender inequality, and I think that this motivates her to create such controversial pieces of artwork.
3) What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
Through my research on feminism, I have discovered that many people consider feminists as prude females who just want to overpower males. In my point of view, this generalization is not accurate in the cases of true feminists, and may be just adding to the mess that was created.
4) What was the central idea for theme around your inspirational research?
The central theme was most obviously gender equality through unequal pay, but also a hidden bias that's deep in our minds.
5) What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I made the inference that artists like Barbara Kruger were/are probably very controversial due to themes and ideas that they express through art.
Digital Collage Essay
I’m lucky enough to grow up in a pretty accepting and encouraging household, where my parents believe that i’m a strong individual and that I can go after whatever makes me happy. Some people are less lucky. My family, specifically my grandma, has shaped my beliefs and has made me much more aware of how badly women were, and still are to some extent, treated by the general public.
When I was old enough to understand what it all meant, my grandmother started telling me how normal it was to mistreat and silence the voices of women when she was growing up (1930s-). Her family, and even people who didn't know her, would make rude comments, suggest that she wasn’t worth as much, and push her away to go “cook dinner”, “make babies”, or “clean”. Women were incredibly stereotyped and tricked into not doing anything about it, and even if women like my grandma realized how unfair they were being treated, there were no resources for these women to go for help, and speaking up about it was seen as wrong or “taboo”.
My grandmother has become one of the strongest people I know because of this and because of everything else that she was put through. Her stories have made a huge impact in who I am today- I consider myself a feminist because of her. Even though in today's world, in America, women aren't as badly treated as in the years that my grandmother was growing up-thank god we’re finally coming to our senses-we still have lots of improvements to make as far as diminishing stereotypes, closing the wage gap, and encouraging and empowering women to become whoever they want to be and to have the power to stand up for themselves, among other things, in order to create complete gender equality.
I think this will be an issue for as long as we force gender specific toys and colors on little boys and girls, and put pressure on girls to start wearing makeup and act a certain way from an age that's way too young. I know without even realizing it, I've acted more “feminine” because from the age I could read and see all of the pictures in magazines and pop-culture, I've just thought that acting feminine, and looking “pretty” was the right thing to do. I know I've also made assumptions in the back of my mind as to what I thought and didn’t think I could do because of being born a female. It’s important to me now, as a high schooler, just starting to think about all of these things that happen all around me unconsciously, to try to push these boundaries we set for women, and to discover who I really am without all of the influence that's weighing me down. I can say proudly that I am a feminist and that i’ll fight to get rid of the bad connotations that go along with the movement that stands for equality among all genders.
When I was old enough to understand what it all meant, my grandmother started telling me how normal it was to mistreat and silence the voices of women when she was growing up (1930s-). Her family, and even people who didn't know her, would make rude comments, suggest that she wasn’t worth as much, and push her away to go “cook dinner”, “make babies”, or “clean”. Women were incredibly stereotyped and tricked into not doing anything about it, and even if women like my grandma realized how unfair they were being treated, there were no resources for these women to go for help, and speaking up about it was seen as wrong or “taboo”.
My grandmother has become one of the strongest people I know because of this and because of everything else that she was put through. Her stories have made a huge impact in who I am today- I consider myself a feminist because of her. Even though in today's world, in America, women aren't as badly treated as in the years that my grandmother was growing up-thank god we’re finally coming to our senses-we still have lots of improvements to make as far as diminishing stereotypes, closing the wage gap, and encouraging and empowering women to become whoever they want to be and to have the power to stand up for themselves, among other things, in order to create complete gender equality.
I think this will be an issue for as long as we force gender specific toys and colors on little boys and girls, and put pressure on girls to start wearing makeup and act a certain way from an age that's way too young. I know without even realizing it, I've acted more “feminine” because from the age I could read and see all of the pictures in magazines and pop-culture, I've just thought that acting feminine, and looking “pretty” was the right thing to do. I know I've also made assumptions in the back of my mind as to what I thought and didn’t think I could do because of being born a female. It’s important to me now, as a high schooler, just starting to think about all of these things that happen all around me unconsciously, to try to push these boundaries we set for women, and to discover who I really am without all of the influence that's weighing me down. I can say proudly that I am a feminist and that i’ll fight to get rid of the bad connotations that go along with the movement that stands for equality among all genders.
Other sources:
"Barbara Kruger - Feminist Artist - The Art History Archive." Barbara Kruger - Feminist Artist - The Art History Archive. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Oct. 2016.