Cycles
theory design
This project began with the choice of a theme, inspired by watching the film Run Lola Run. The theme of interest I chose was 'Time.' Challenged to work with irregular mediums, I reflected on personal interests that may tie into this concept. I collect dead flowers and thought about how the life of flowers reflect much of that of the human life. In addition to working outside the boundaries of traditional means, I wanted to explore how each stage (seeds, live and dead flowers) would look aesthetically when scanned. In addition, the project involved the challenge to produce a triptych style composition as a final product. This page follows the changing process of approach to the final composition.
I began composing various scans of the series. Curating and experimenting with positions of placement. Scattering and arranging angles, to make visually interesting compositions. A poem reflective of the passage of time felt appropriate as the textual element to the piece. This beginning point appears slightly glossy, exposing how the compositions appear when printed and displayed bare upon the wall.
This direction began to explore scale and alignment of text and how it effects the message reading. This step also began to analyze how the text could interact with with the background and vice versa. This can more distinctly be seen in the left and center posters.
The idea came to investigate more physical means of production, rather than the expected poster. Containers for the respective cycles were gathered and the respective poem parts found their way into a handmade card element (detail image and process below).
Utilizing twine, card stock, pressed leaf and transparency paper, the poem was displayed in a way that felt contextually correct as well as keeping a cohesiveness amongst the three pieces.
Finally, the finishing touches to the composition included utilizing a lazy-suzan and circular wooden cutting board pedestal for the centerpiece, displayed upon a wooden stand. Each component was carefully placed upon the pedestal center board. The utilization of the lazy-suzan is significant in emphasizing the cyclical nature of life. The colorful living flowers from the previous stage, evolved into a bursting bouquet of white carnations and baby's breath to create a better balanced earthy tone amongst the three components. Seeds and dead leaves scattered about the base, as well as the touch of a few departed bees. The textual card elements were removed and replaced with a new phrase incorporated around the rim of the lazy-suzan. The detail image of the phrase can be seen below.
"What you are, I once WAS. What I AM, you will BECOME."