JUDGEMENT
INSPIRATION
IMAGINE
ESCAPE
From Portfolio:
My aim with this collection of digital composite images was to explore some of the difficult emotions and insecurities caused by the current sociopolitical climate, as well as the struggles of being an artist living in such an environment. I focused on conveying these concepts through the use of color and surreal imagery.
I'm not going to lie, I really struggled with this one. The number of images might have been too much for me, and I suffered from constant technical issues with both Photoshop and InDesign, but I tried to put as much effort as I could into making the ones I did complete cohesive and well constructed.
Portfolio: link (download for better formatting)
The artist for the portfolio I chose is Miranda Santana’s Multitudes. Her work aligns with a lot of my favorite pieces that incorporate surrealistic conjecture mixed in with some form of commentary or emotional basis. The social commentary is strategically designed to send a message without overwhelming the viewer.
ReplyDeleteThe pieces showcase a heavy use of compositing and each one features a narrative that differs from the rest while also maintaining an effective cohesiveness to her original topic and theme. The work is original and creative in its design without being overworked or displaying too much visual input.
It is apparent that a great deal of effort was put in to compositing each piece with a high attention to detail and a deep focus on the overall visual interpretation. The entire canvas is used with artistic emphasis being placed on the primary focal points.
I particularly enjoy that she incorporates photographs of herself in the work, although I am unsure if she is in the piece Imagine. This puts her directly into the world and allows the viewer to do the same. By giving the audience a chance to join her in the immersive storyline, it helps to better understand the message being told.
The PDF is designed well and provides information and links to the sources used. Perhaps adding close ups of the original unedited work would help to show the developmental process into the final pieces. Heavy stock imagery was used which detracts from the photographic element of the project, but the usage of the images was done in such a way that supports creative liberty rather than simply copying and pasting.
Overall, I really enjoyed Miranda’s portfolio and feel compelled to go back and look at them more. Each time I discover something I didn’t notice before and this type of artistry is one of my favorites. I hope she continues with creating more composites.
Kim B
Miranda Santana’s portfolio stood out to me the most. Her portfolio is very well organized and makes it very easy to identify where her sources come from. What stood out to me the most was the way all the images were composed and just seemed to work cohesively together. It didnt come off as a compilations of a multitude of images, but more so a creation of a sole pre-planned image. I also think her creativity played a large role in the success of these images.
ReplyDeleteThe concept does a great job of embracing digital compositing and the use of photoshop. As previously mentioned everything looks very cohesive and works very well together. I like that there was a section in her portfolio that explained the aim of the digital composites and after reading it, I can definitely understand her works more. The works don’t feel repetitive at all, it’s clear to see a theme throughout without making it feel repetitive. Miranda did a great job building upon the influence of Alyn Spiller. I can see his influence throughout Mirandas work, it gives me the same vibe throughout. Due to the way Miranda explained why she composed the works the way that she did, I dont believe it’s derivative at all. I think you can clearly see her take on the images under Alyn Spillers influence.
The compositing looks challenging. I think my favorite work was “Human”, Miranda did a stupendous job with her compositing skills and creating an interesting perspective for the viewer. The photoshop techniques look very professional and appropriate. The composites are dark and surreal while still having a good highlight on the central figures. I think its also commendable how well the images within the works are blended together to work cohesively.
As previously mentioned one of the most successful creations of depth of field in lighting, for me, is “Human”. The lighting shining on the large heart works very well with the lighting placed on the subject sewing the heart. I think another good example of Mirandas use of depth of field and lighting can be seen in “Escape”. It definitely works to support the concept of exploring difficult emotions and insecurities caused by teh current sociopolitical climate. The works look like they are composed intentionally, everything seems to be serving a purpose. The facial expression and body language in “Judgement” definitely helps to emphasize the concept of the work itself by making it seem like the subject feels very vulnerable and even shy and scared from the judgement coming from the huge eyeball in the sky.
The PDF looks very professional, there’s a good hierarchy throughout and all the images are placed at the same place whether they be to the left or the right on the pages. Due to how small the text is, it is a little hard to read what the description is. However when I clicked on the blue links, I could easily see what sources Miranda used to compose the works. I also think that the quote at the end was a nice touch to really drive the concept home.
The portfolio I chose to review is Multitudes by Miranda Santana. Right off the bat, it caught my attention. It shows her in different scenarios, each one portraying a unique struggle. The titles are short, one-word summaries of what’s happening in each piece, and the variety throughout the portfolio is what really pulled me in. Plus, the abstract and surrealist vibes make it even more interesting.
ReplyDeleteShe doesn’t mention if the work is inspired by any specific artist, but she does a great job getting her message across, exploring emotions and insecurities influenced by today’s sociopolitical climate. Every piece feels original, with its own story, setting, and meaning tied to the title.
The Photoshop work is really balanced across the portfolio. Some pieces look simple, while others are more complex, which keeps things interesting. For example, in Escape, I’d suggest tweaking the lighting around the subject’s edges to make the dramatic effect pop more. It would really sell that glowing open door at the end of the alley. But overall, the compositing throughout the portfolio is solid.
The facial expressions in the pieces where she uses herself are so well done, they feel super realistic, like she’s genuinely in that moment. Aside from minor lighting issues in Inspiration and Judgement, I think the depth of field works great in all of them.
I also love how clean and easy it is to view her work. The balance of black and white makes everything flow without being overwhelming. She’s added links that are easy to access and mentions whether the photos are hers or not, which is super helpful. On top of that, she includes quick descriptions that explain the meaning behind each piece.
Overall, Multitudes is an awesome portfolio. It’s creative, well thought out, and shows off her skills really well.