The End - Final Images and Statement

The final images of this project came together in a way I hadn't initially planned for. Originally, this project was meant to tackle a broader perspective, with more scholarly articles, citations, and headlines planned for my drafts. However, as I worked on this independent project, it became just that, independent. While I drew inspiration from the articles and news clips documenting the violence, chaos, and brutality of the world, my images grew much more personal in their depiction. I shifted away from the pressure of capturing universal viewpoints, and instead used this project as a much needed outlet for myself.

I kept my color scheme minimalistic, focusing on hues of reds, pinks, and yellows as I found a balance between depicting graphic zombie imagery and reflecting on my own thoughts about humanity. Such thoughts and depictions included that of animal slaughter, riots, and conflicting emotions with a higher power. I ultimately settled on seven 11 by 17 large poster images, and rather than including cited scholarly texts between and within each one, I inserted personal spoken word poems, (printed at 8.5 by 11), that related to each preceding poster image. Everything is tied together by one large poem, printed as an 11 by 17 with the posters, and placed at the very end of the series in the exhibition layout.

In a world where designers are often expected to follow professional guidelines and meet client needs, I believe having a personal creative outlet is essential. Now, at the end of completing my BFA, this project has allowed me to find that outlet amidst the final projects, deadlines, and the chaos of graduation and future plans. I've been able to share a deeply introspective look into how I experience the world during its darker times, using both imagery and words of poetry to reflect on the complexities and tensions I see and feel around and inside of me. This project also gave me the opportunity to experiment with different creative forms, and explore how they can work together to convey a deeper meaning. The combination of watercolor and hand-drawings to image tracing and digital imagery with creative writing, was a way for me to express the emotions and personal thoughts that words and independent images alone couldn’t fully capture.

In the end, it’s not a perfect project, but it’s mine, and it’s beautiful. This has been an incredible experience to have as I complete my journey as a college student, and I’m eager to continue to utilizing this creative outlet in exploring the intersections of art, design, and personal literature.