Valeria Acosta: Project 1 Backdrop Mapping

The first two weeks of this Spring semester began rocky, I had to register late for upper level classes and the course material was more intense than I had hoped. I knew for this project I wanted to focus on creating art pieces that demonstrated the overwhelming anxiety I had felt the past two weeks before getting used to my course load. Anxiety is something that I had always dealt with personally, and I thought it was a good topic to begin this project on. I hope to come back to this project as i expand my skills.

Overall, I wanted my compositions to blend the mapping with the architecture as a way to alluding to hidden anxieties. It is a way of representing those with mental illness who suffer everyday, quietly, and blended within their environments. 

Composition 1: 

This composition tested my technique with masking, I utilized Photoshop to mask away certain elements so that I could place materials between the base and the mask. I also edited the color balance to a darkened, cool toned hue.

From this point, I played with some of the materials I had access to until I reached the final result. I wanted to utilize a series of fast paced motions with no distinct direction or rhythm. The point was to make the piece uncomfortably scattered while also blended into the architecture as well as the layout of the room. I changed the coloring, the blending, and the patterns of the media. For a lot of people, the classroom is a place of high anxieties, and I think I did well in representing that.

Composition 2:

This composition utilized some of the same techniques, I edited the image in Photoshop to create the background and the mask. This was significantly more challenging to compose because I was unable to take an image where the staircase was empty, which is actually perfect to demonstrate the unwavering anxieties to keep working. The difficult part was masking around the person and deciding what media I wanted to use to fill the stairs.

 I attempted to use media that mimics loading bars, circles, any indication of slow data processing. Again, I altered the bled modes so that the media would become a part of the architecture. For me, Loading bars in the middle of trying to get work done are one of the worst things to encounter. Especially when trying to get work done before a class.

This staircase is memorable for a lot of students in ATEC. It's many plugs and seating promote production value. While convenient, it is also a structure that reminds us to keep working, to keep charging our electronics so that we can continue to create. While this is a great resource that many students appreciate, I've also seen a fair share of people show signs of stress. The resource tells us that there is no excuse to stop working so long as you have access. 

Again, I think I did a good job executing the message I wanted to get across. Anxieties, especially  about school are difficult to overcome especially when society paints mental illness in a bad light and we are expected to get through our day to day lives. Again, I hope to revisit this composition and improve it in any way I can once I expand my experience.