Design Principles / Final Project (Visual Analysis)

 June 10, 2022 - July 1, 2022 (Week 11 - 14)

Anandya Dewi Saputra / 0354651

Design Principles / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media / Taylor's University

Final Project / Visual Analysis

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LECTURES

Visual Analysis

Visual analysis is a method of assessing the ability of a land/landscape indicated by a visual change as a result of human activities, or it can also be defined as the physical carrying capacity of a land/landscape to absorb various development and management activities proposed by still paying attention to the quality and visual character. Visual analysis is a method of understanding art that focuses on an artwork's visual elements such as color, line, texture, scale, etc.

Step 1 - Observation

the technique of data collecting that enables an observer (manager, expert, analyst) to analyze a specific process and get insight into important process aspects.

Step 2 - Analysis

Analysis necessitates that you consider your observations and attempt to form claims about the work based on the evidence of your observations.

Step 3 - Interpretation

Your observations, description, and analysis of the work are integrated with information on the design work and historical context.

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INSTRUCTIONS

In this assignment, we are instructed to analyze an artwork that we chose. The content must include observation, analysis, and interpretation. We also needed to choose an artwork within the theme of "reduced inequalities".

VISUAL ANALYSIS

OBSERVATION

This artwork uses the portrait format. The color scheme of this artwork is dark and dull with grainy effects, there are three well dressed people standing in the podium and a helpless man in ripped clothes begging with his dog under the podium, the man is surrounded by trash; glass and plastic bags. There are also numbers on the podium divining the position of the three well dressed person. The person with the first position with a nice hat and a suitcase is looking straight while the person on the second position with the nice skirt looks at the man in the first position, the person on the third position looks down at the beggar.

ANALYSIS

This artwork composition takes the balance of asymmetrical. The proportion is heavy in the middle since the subject surrounds in the center leaving the top, bottom, left, and right empty meaning this artwork uses the golden section composition. The girl with white shirt emphasizes the drawing since she is the only one with bright clothes creating contrast and the only one paying attention at the beggar by facing at him while the other two person on the podium using dark clothes is not paying attention to the beggar. The alignment for the subjects also works well since beggar was placed under the person with the highest place in the podium emphasizing the differences between their position. The artwork also have a grainy texture.

INTERPRETATION

This artwork (called On top and bottom, 2020) was drawn by an artist named Marco Melgrati, an Italian illustrator who lives in Bali, Indonesia. Marco Melgrati's work often relates in the modern day issues such as inequalities. I find that this illustration delivers a message about the inequality in life that we will be having because of our positions. From the alignment of the subjects we can already see how a well-dressed wealthy man will have a higher position compared with the others especially beggars. The girl on the podium with the second position looks at the man with envy while the girl on the third position looks at the beggar as if she knows the inequalities he was having. The man with the highest position holds an an important suitcase while the beggar kept a trash and bottles as their important stuff. Middle-upper class doesn't pay attention to the lowlife and only the middle-lower class who pays attention to them. 

This illustration delivers the inequality by income in life well, and also delivers how the higher life often forgets about the lowlife. We can also see the girl who pays attention to the beggar was wearing the only bright clothes showing that she was the only one with pure heart unlike the others with dark clothing. Marco Melgrati quoted (2020) that this illustration purposely made to remind people about the modern day issues of how our income can give inequalities of position in life and to not get carried away with it, to also reminds them to give attention to the lowlife. Being successful is great but paying attention and helping others with pure heart is more important and to not let our income affects the position of others in life. 

Reference: 

Melgrati, Marco. (2020). On Top and Bottom. www.boredpanda.com/modern-world-illustrations-social-issues-marco-melgrati/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic

Visual Research

thehill.com/opinion/finance/537244-biden-wants-to-fix-income-inequality-heres-how-he-can-do-it

sites.psu.edu/bloggeral/2014/01/29/the-effects-of-educational-inequality

After completing the visual analysis of Marco Melgrati's work, I conducted some visual study on income inequality. Because the topic of this project is reduced inequalities, I tried to illustrate that even though there are always financial discrepancies, individuals may still acquire the same education. I then began to do some sketches. 

First Sketch

Second Sketch

After receiving feedback from Ms. Jinchi, I went with the second sketch and made some adjustment to not to show all of the boards and place it in the center (refer to principle of closure), and after putting all the colors I came up with this.

Colored Sketch First Attempt

Ms. Jinchi said that the board is still overpowering and that their father's occupation is too small, she suggested to widen the size of the father's occupation so that it become the main point so I went ahead to adjust it.

Visual Analysis Final Outcome

I think it looks better, the wider size of their father's occupation helps to gave the viewer eyes a main focus. This artwork also shows the audience about equality in education even if there's an inequality of income from their father's occupation. 

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FEEDBACK

Week 13:

Don't show the board all the way and put it in the middle, refer to principle of closure.

Week 14:

Widen the size of their father's occupation to make it the main focus.

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REFLECTIONS

I find this assignment helpful to train our analyzing skills. We can see how a simple illustration can hide so many details that delivers meaningful messages. An illustration is used to describe words through an image. but can also delivers positive messages through a simple drawing.