Task: Create a 2-D Imagery that consider the use of the following action: ‘Add’, ‘Subtract’, ‘Substitute’ and ‘Superimpose’.

1) Adding to the Image: Smoking Your Way Though (Addition)

Description: I added in a man smoking right infront of the no-smoking sign; to show the blatant irony of how people seem to disrespect rules and signs nowadays almost to the point that it is a norm. I had to colour-tone the man in the picture since he was more orange than yellow originally, and had to turn up the highlights on him to attempt to make him match more to his background.

2) Through the Looking-Glass (Superimpose)

Description: Originally a shot peeking into the outside world from the National Museum, I switched the exterior to a more naturalistic shot to show the contrast between the cold, neutral world of walls as compared to the free, green grass on the other side; managed it through masking the green layer over the original.

3) Animal in Man Skin (Substitution)

Description: I substituted the original head of people viewing animals at the zoo with animal heads to show the irony of how humans are also animals themselves; and yet they choose to lock up other animals for their viewing pleasure.

The varying types of animals also show how different people in the society is similar to how animals behave in a safari-zone, many different people/ animals of different strengths and weaknesses living together in both harmony and discord.

4) Missing Someone (Subtracting)

Description: By cloning the tress in the background, I removed the original existing companion of the old couple strolling in the Botanic Gardens.

By adding shadows on the grass emphasised the fact that there used to be a person beside the other, despite the missing appearances.

Thoughts: The exercise further emphasised on the probable understanding of the human conscious towards connoted and denoted messages within pictures. People might interpret differently based on their personal perception and upbringing, owing it their culture and understanding of the particular subject itself.

It is interesting to see how people react differently to the same thing; akin to a devils’ advocate.