Overview

After a long, treacherous journey of cropping images and freezing in the dark room, we finally get to present our compositions and silkscreen products! The following post will be detailing the concepts and techniques behind my four compositions as well as the feedback received during critique. 

Final Product

Concept

Intrigued by the surrealist art movement, I intended to create compositions based on the methods of storytelling adopted by surrealist artists. The compositions were a result of attempting to emulate the approach in creating films by renowned filmmaker, David Lynch. Inspired by his methods of addressing the ‘various layers of reality’, namely waking, sleeping, and dreaming, I wanted to create compositions that depict narratives related to those areas. The stage of limbo/sleep paralysis is added as a personal choice.

The documentary (around 06:22 – 06:54) discusses his film’s trademarks and recurring motifs used, as well as how his works focus on different layers of reality. 

Keeping the different states of reality in mind, the movie quotes chosen are to serve as textual representative of the states, as well as to give a context to the related composition. 

Composition 1

I. Concept & Approach

Composition 1 is a pictorial representation of the movie quote ‘He’s a looney. Just like his tunes.’ from 2017’s Baby Driver. Aiming to depict the state of dreaming, I wanted to establish a surreal setting by having things emerging from a man’s head, and using an under-the-sea theme (as shown by the deepsea diver helmets, squid tentacles, and goldfish) to show the nonsensical nature of dreams. To further reinforce a dream-like state, the elements pictured are a result of putting non-related objects together; this includes the straightjacket made up of tentacles and leather straps and a band of deepsea divers. 

The elements used are also representative of the words ‘looney’ and ‘tunes’. For ‘looney’, I chose to use a clown with a crazy facial expression and tentacles and leather straps forming a straightjacket. For ‘tunes’, I chose performing musicians (a singer, banjo player, and saxophonist in this case). 

II. Techniques Applied

Using a combination of storytelling methods, I tried to construct an accompanying narrative for this composition. The composition was a result of expanding on caricature and anthropomorphism, which is evident in the clown’s striking features being exaggerated (swapping his long tongue for a squid tentacle), as well as using tentacles to resemble a straightjacket. 

Some of the principles of design I experimented with included: 

Balance and unity

The Gestalt Principle (proximity)

Scale and size

Textures and values

Following a star-like layout, I wanted to establish a sense of balance by aligning the main elements with one another; the structure of the main elements – the clown and deepsea diver musicians – are parallel to one another, and from the vertical centre, the elements and breathing space on the left and right sides are somewhat similar (e.g. the goldfish on the right balances with the squid tentacle tongue, and the musicians on the far left and far right balance with the leather straps on the bottom of the tentacles). 

I also tried to experiment with a proximity in the composition; having images of musicians with completely non-related instruments and attire, I wanted to try using proximity to establish them as a whole, and therefore, placed deepsea diver helmets on their heads to reinforce them as a group of related elements, and at the same time, contrast them against the clown and goldfish. 

The elements are also a result of varying scales and sizes. In terms of sizes, I wanted to reinforce the idea of dream-like states and surrealism through enlarging typically small objects and downsizing life-size objects; enlarging goldfish and downsizing humans. As for scales, similar to the idea behind the goldfish and humans, the composition is made up of life-sized goldfish and squid tentacles, different from their realistic counterparts. Additionally, having two contrasting scales of human figures (i.e. the clown and musicians), helps to establish a more surreal mood. 

With regards to value, I wanted to create contrast by varying the levels of threshold; this is shown in the black and white spaces in the clothing of the clown and musicians, and the textures given off by the tentacles and deepsea diver helmets. The textures of the tentacles, different types of clothing, and shine in the helmets and goldfish skin, also helped in creating contrast. Threshold was also useful in creating a silkscreen print as it helped formed the figures. 

Composition 2

I. Concept & Approach

Composition 2 is a representation of the quote ‘Sometimes I think I have felt everything I’m ever gonna feel’ from 2013’s Her. Following the concept of David Lynch’s various stages of reality, this composition explores the state of being awake, depicting a divine entity who has reached the pinnacle of feeling all. 

Focusing on the words ‘felt everything’ and the idea of the divine, I wanted to use a combination of recognisable religious symbols; lotuses and lit candles to represent Buddhism, a halo to represent Christianity, and the repeated motifs of hands to represent Hinduism. To further emphasise the idea of the ‘all-seeing’ and the worshipped, I chose to have a realistic third eye sat atop a Greek sculpture bust. 

II. Techniques Applied

Similar to Composition 1, I used literary devices to help construct a narrative for Composition 2; hyperbole and imagery were mainly used. Hyperbole is evident in taking the sensation of feeling everything and exaggerating it by featuring a being that has reached the utmost point of feeling all there is to feel. Imagery, on the other hand, is shown through the motifs of hands and eyes to represent the sensation of touch, reinforcing having ‘felt everything’.

Balance and emphasis

Scale and size

Pattern

Textures and values

Keeping the theme of divinity in mind, I wanted Composition 2 to echo that of psychedelic patterns, thereby following a radial layout, with the hands, lotus, and halo forming a circle, encompassing the bust in the centre as the main element. Its radial layout allowed for balance, with the elements on the left repeated and aligned on the right. Emphasis is also achieved by placing a contrasting element (i.e. the Greek bust) in the centre, breaking the repeated motifs of hands and lotuses. On the contrary, the repeated motifs of hands and lotuses in a radial format also help to create a pattern. 

Composition 2 also expands on the idea of scale. Having trouble finding a suitable image of a halo, I decided to enlarge a picture of a gold ring. In terms of scale, the enlargement of the gold ring into a halo helps to reinforce the composition’s surrealist style. Originally a small object, especially in contrast to hands, lotuses and sculptural busts, the gold ring is now enlarged to the point that it becomes the largest and most prominent element in the composition, further reinforced by its black and white value achieved by threshold. 

With regards to value, I chose to use halftones for the majority of the elements. Because of the nature of the original images, halftones had to be used to clearly depict the elements. However, the halftones displayed in the bust were able to create an interesting texture and contrast, showing signs of light and shadows, thereby giving it a more realistic depiction. As mentioned previously, the halo was created using threshold as a means to show contrast to the other elements, as well as to create a variance in texture. 

Composition 3

I. Concept & Approach

Composition 3 follows the quote ‘I chose not to choose life. I chose something else’ uttered in 1996’s Trainspotting. Representing the state of sleeping, according to David Lynch’s dissection of reality, this composition is a representation of what happens to one’s body when he/she decides not to deal with matters in life and goes into hibernation mode; construction workers performing maintenance work on the body to prepare it for another day of work. 

Echoing the idea of sleep, the elements, namely the man sleeping with smoke coming out from his head and mobile (an ‘adult-style’ mobile made up of doves instead of toys, to symbolise peace as a mechanism to fall sleep) above, are representative of the state. I also chose to draw focus to the words ‘choose’ and ‘life’, where to reiterate the idea of ‘life’, the symbols chosen were the Life magazine and a man sleeping, while the industrial switch on off-mode symbolises the notion behind making a choice. 

II. Techniques Applied

When analysing the quote, I used hyperbole and parody to help reconstruct a narrative completely different from its original context in the film. Originally based on choosing to take heroin in the film, I wanted to completely deviate and exaggerate the idea of choosing between facing life and going to sleep, also creating a parody of what happens to one’s body when he/she goes to sleep. 

Emphasis

Scale and size

Pattern

The Gestalt Principle

Textures and values

Similar to Composition 1, Composition 3 follows a star-like layout, with the main element (i.e. the man sleeping and Life magazine) placed in the centre, and accompanying elements extending from them, with the exception of the mobile placed on top. This helps in drawing the viewers’ attention to viewing the supposed main elements, followed by its accompanying minor elements, establishing emphasis.

Composition 3 is also a demonstration of variance in scale. To reinforce surrealism, some of the human figures in the composition are shrunk; by contrasting them against a regular, life-size human, it reiterates the surreal mood of the composition. Size was also shown in showing the gradual decrease  in the sizes of the construction worker in accordance to the perspective of the composition; the worker in the front is the biggest and the one in the back is the smallest, helping to establish a sense of foreground, middle ground, and background. 

To make a more interesting and visually appealing composition, I used geometric patterns to establish a base. The patterns helped in establishing a sense of direction for the composition’s layout; the arrow-like shapes help to draw the viewers’ attention to the main elements (i.e. the man sleeping and Life magazine). They also create a contrast in texture and value; made up of solid black and white values, they contrast against the halftone value of the main elements and the threshold textures of the construction workers and industrial switch. 

I also wanted to expand further on using proximity in the Gestalt Principle. Since the construction workers were a minor element, I wanted to group them together to establish a better sense of clarity; this was done through downsizing them to roughly the same size as well as using the same values of threshold to unify them. The same technique was done for the mobile, where the metal frame and repeated motifs of doves were used to show that they belong to the same group. 

Composition 4

 

I. Concept & Approach

Composition 4 is a reconstruction of the quote ‘I’m nothing, I’m not even here’ from 2014’s Birdman (or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). Meant to depict the state of sleep paralysis or limbo, the composition tells the story of an unknown figure disappearing through a portal in the ground. Inspired by photographer Nicolas Bruno, whose works revolve around capturing moments he witnesses while experiencing sleep paralysis, I wanted to create a composition that mirrors the terrifying nature of his photographs and the accounts of people who suffer from this state. To do so, I blurred out the identity of the human figure in the composition by placing a sack and deer antlers over her head. 

Deconstructing the words ‘nothing’ and ‘not even here’, the elements chosen are supposed to revolve around the idea of travelling and disappearing without a trace. This is shown through depicting a suitcase, airplane seat, direction arrow, and the figure waving goodbye, as well as the portal underneath. 

II. Techniques Applied

In constructing the narrative of this composition, I tried using hyperbole and anthropomorphism. Exaggerating on the words ‘nothing’ and ‘not even here’, I wanted to give the composition a surreal feeling by using a non-realistic way of disappearing (i.e. a portal), as well as using hints of anthropomorphism (assigning deer antlers to a human figure). 

Pattern

Emphasis

Textures and values

Similar to Composition 3, Composition 4 follows a simple layout of having the main focus (i.e. the human figure) in the centre of the composition with accompanying elements branching out from it. This helps in directing viewers’ gaze to the main focus followed by the minor elements, also paving the way for emphasis by drawing attention to the centred main element. The elements also attempt to achieve a sense of balance by aligning with one another; the slanted planes of the arrow, airplane seat, and suitcase are parallel to one another. The placement of the hamburger with a straw in the centre also establishes a more balanced look between the upper and lower sections, thereby helping to create a neater and more visually-appealing layout. 

Additionally, reinforcing the concept of the figure disappearing into the portal below, I tilted the elements in the composition, and cropped out the bottom of the suitcase. 

Composition 4 also uses patterns, as seen in the circular portal at the bottom. Similar to earlier uses, the solid black and white value of the pattern helps to create contrast in texture and shadows against the halftones of other elements, as well as create variance in structure with its repetitive geometric shapes as opposed to the organic shapes of other elements. 

Feedback & Improvements

	Positive	Improvements
Composition 1	High contrast helps to make it seem more vivid and its wild nature Simple composition with minimal elements	Unequal sense of balance; the elements on top outweigh the bottom, making it seem more heavy The under-the-sea theme could have been swapped out with something more related to the quote
Composition 2	Good use of symmetry and balance	Reduce the use of halftones to create more variety and contrast
Composition 3	Use of lines helps to draw viewers’ gaze to the main focal point	The use of threshold for the construction workers and doves could be improved upon; their features are not clearly distinguishable
Composition 4	The elements used as symbols are straightforward	The pattern used could have been swapped out for a more radial pattern to make it more obvious as a portal and to make the composition more visually-appealing

Challenges

Unpredictability of images

The main challenge I faced in this project is the unpredictability of the images used in the compositions. Keeping the requirement of using only found images and black and white tones, it was challenging and tedious to find suitable images and altering their brightness, contrast, and saturation values to compliment one another. Furthermore, having minimal experience with halftone and threshold, it was difficult in adjusting the black and white values of the images to clearly show the details and at times, they would just appear as blobs of black and white, or grey circles (if using half tones). However, with tutorials, I was able to get a better idea of how to use halftones, and using trial-and-error methods with a bunch of different images helped in this process.

Link to research and process:
https://oss.adm.ntu.edu.sg/vwong005/research-process…t-2-forrest-gump/

References

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109830/mediaviewer/rm2864190720

Composition 1:

https://depositphotos.com/23602849/stock-photo-saxophonist.html

https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-image-goldfish-image16533151

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/tentacles-octopus-isolated-on-white-background-404070004

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/tentacles-octopus-isolated-on-white-background-404069971

https://hu.pinterest.com/phil_sidey/

http://mainestategrange.org/?tag=music

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2015/oct/30/funny-peculiar-extreme-clown-portraits-by-perou-coulrophobia-in-pictures

Composition 2:

http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?assetId=870901&objectId=1341986&partId=1

https://www.definicionabc.com/salud/muneca.php

https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-illustration-cross-religious-symbol-crucifix-logo-design-icon-image54056213

Lotus

http://chek.lv/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=121

https://www.123rf.com/photo_1415056_small-white-candle-on-a-white-background.html

https://www.catbirdnyc.com/classic-hammered-ring-yellow-gold.html

Composition 3:

http://time.com/4763638/jfk-covers-life/

https://science.idntimes.com/discovery/bayu/ini-15-fakta-ilmiah-unik-soal-tidur-yang-jarang-orang-tahu

http://www.fansshare.com/community/uploads42/7369/pvc_pipe_fittings/

https://www.pinterest.com/freecycleusa/recycled-lighting/?lp=true

https://browniesincinema.bandcamp.com/track/never-going-back

https://www.123rf.com/photo_42784196_vertical-view-of-construction-workers-working-outdoors.html

http://www.fotosearch.com/CSP992/k12824999/

http://www.freeimages.com/premium/worker-putting-out-safety-cones-966568

https://www.pinterest.com/rocketlandphoto/retro-cool/?lp=true

Composition 4:

http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/legs-in-the-air.html?blackwhite=1

https://www.turbosquid.com/Search/3D-Models/seat

https://www.amazon.co.uk/slp/swag-bag/5kx6sbpthakw7cn

https://depositphotos.com/stock-photos/cheeseburger.html

https://www.houzz.com/product/40854476-distressed-red-finish-lighted-led-arrow-wall-hanging-industrial-novelty-signs

https://www.picquery.com/c/antlers_pdvUD3b8SDZv4j0qvyVAu9*ZGJNNaDFTK8QiZVDe43Q/