My Finals

Basically for my final pieces I wanted to create four images that all represent their theme individually but then all link together in some way creating the bigger picture. The different themes, all which are part of life, are usually always linked together providing different elements which make up a situation.

I chose a situation that is apparent now, always being debated. That being George Bush and his War on Terror?


The first piece is based on truth. I looked back over my blog back to the piece on truth and found that it highlighted the situation of war. In my response i put across the message of how soldiers are being killed for a reason which may not be for the war on terror against their country but for oil. I wanted to highlight this same message in the piece by using crosses to represent death. That being the death of soldiers.

I used blue because it is a pure colour symbolising truth.


For the second piece I used the symbol of peace to highlight what George Bush wants to achieve with his actions. By using the colour white this symbolises peace and serenity. More of George Bush's face is also revealed. in this piece.


This piece symbolises Unity. I used the colour green because it represents togetherness. From looking back at my pieces on Unity i found that the protestor boards worked really well and linked with the theme of my final pieces well. The piece also reveals more of George Bush's face.

The last piece is based on the theme of Uncertainty. I used the colour purple because it represents mystery. as for the content i wanted to highlight the question of war. Is it a war on terror or is it a war for oil? I hand rendered the Oil drum because i didnt want and photography in my piece. Especialy when i am highlighting uncertainty. If it was a photograph it would provoke a definate answer.

For the background i created it by layering up ripped up newspaper around George Bush's face. The reason for this is that i wanted the underlying message of how media is surrounding the situation of George Bush and the war and they have a lot of control of how the story is told. I sprayed over the newspaper in black just to hide some of it so it wasnt too overpowering and full of news type. The paint i splattered across each of the pieces because i wanted it to look random but give the colour theme across for the theme i was representing.

I added most of the actual content items on digitally. I did this becuase it created more depth to the image and gave me the ability to add type where appropriate. This mix of media gives the piece a sense of questionability.

What have I learnt?

Looking at my previous posts I have realised that themes such as the ones I have chosen to analyse: Peace, Truth, Uncertainty and Unity have all been visually communicated in many different styles and ways. From certain ones being very symbolic and having a definite meaning to to others that use different elements of the piece to suggest an interpretation of that theme. I have enjoyed searching deeper into the images i have chosen and trying to uncover how meaning is conveyed visually through them.

I have found that an effective way of communicating a message effectively is by using hand rendered media due to the fact that it creates something more personal and with more depth. By then putting that into Photoshop and adding digital elements to it you can interoperate meaning in two ways, one being very personal and the other being very objective with the digital media. By using this combination of production you can achieve this combination of meaning effectively.

For my final pieces i want to try and achieve a set of images all interlinked and effective of each other however highlight my different themes by using the two different mediums.

Target Audience

For my blog i have specifically aimed my writing and analyzing toward quite an old sophisticated audience, however it is accessible to anybody knowing the URL therefore the actual audience could be anybody. Although 16 years old and upwards is an audience to which I have aimed my blog at.

The Mona Lisa - My Interpretation

If I were to ask the question: "Can you please name me a piece of art?" Would the answer not be, "Ah of course, The Mona Lisa?" Five hundred years old but still living on, how has the much acclaimed renaissance portrait of the Mona Lisa become controversial street art of Banksy. Where has art derived from, but more importantly how has it found its way onto the walls of our cities, from hangings in galleries? The historical art known as the Mona Lisa created by Leonardo Da Vinci in 1503 is suggested to have become one of the worlds most famous pieces of art. It is because of this fact that the Mona Lisa has transformed from just a piece of art ,to a symbol, recognised around the world. However, she is a symbol therefore she must symbolise something; in my opinion, she was not created for this purpose, but has developed into the character of mankind as a whole, representing each and everyone of us. Reason for this, without going into too much detail is the mystery that surrounds her, but also intrigues us, 500 years on from her birth, I think is a strong metaphor for how we as humans live our lives. We are always living for tomorrow. Trying to understand the misunderstood. Anyway, lets get back to the art. The symbol of the Mona Lisa has been regenerated in different art movements throughout history until present day. The Dada movement, a movement arising in reaction to World War 1. It was thought that the war was generated because of the growth in the capitalist society at the time. Dada was basically protesting against war through art by embracing irrationality. A movement of expression and questioning, actually labelled anti-art. this movement rose a lot questions about the Mona Lisa and its place in art. "No longer appreciated as a painting, but instead, commodified on postcards, posters and coffee mugs. Marcel Duchamp took a reproduction of Da Vinci's painting, and drew a moustache and goatee on her face. Duchamp's audacity became a Dada statement." ( Susan Stamberg, www.npr.org ) As quoted here the Mona Lisa has moved from the walls of galleries onto the side of mugs. The Dada movement basically opposed this and stated that if it is art then why have it plastered to everything as merchandise? Is the Mona Lisa now a brand? An identity of art as a whole? They feared this and reacted against it trying to make a mockery of the Mona Lisa. Ironically, the Dada Mona Lisa created in 1919 titled L.H.O.O.Q, which if said in French very fast means 'she has a nice arse,' became just as iconic for what it had represented and then found itself back onto mugs and postcards. This supports my opinion that the Mona Lisa is now a symbolic icon representing mankind. It was confronted, however has adapted to the change and accepted it. Turning the statement back into a piece of art. This raises the question: Is art what we make it? The next significant appropriation of the Mona Lisa was by Andy Warhol within the Pop Art era. His so called style was mainly silk screen prints symbolizing iconic figures and objects. Therefore Mona Lisa was an obvious symbol in which he could add his own brand to by creating many different versions of the print using a range of contrasting colours. One could state that he was trying to regenerate the Mona Lisa for the pop art era or simply just attaching his own mark to this iconic piece to pocket a bit of money. Either, or both, the Mona Lisa had now been used yet again to generalise a time within art, that being Pop Art. Ultimately, hangings in galleries is now becoming a thing of the past. Nowadays, we don't need to pay so we can stand and look at the Mona Lisa hanging there, while we wonder what it is all about. Literally just take a trip around London, Bristol or maybe Brighton, along with many other places where underground sub culture artist Banksy has decided that art, no longer belongs in galleries but on the walls of our streets communicating its messages to anyone who happens to pass by. Now I understand there is big controversy surrounding the classification of Graffiti. However, my personal opinion is that if it communicates something in one way or another, whether it is in a gallery, on the street, or anywhere as a matter of fact then how can it not be classed as art. Ignorance has stopped some of us from moving along with the times in art just like in technology. Whether you agree or not Banksy has made his mark and yet again produced the latest of the Mona Lisa installations. Spray-paint, a graffiti artists pen or brush is Banksy's choice of media. Stencilling for him, is silk screen prints for Andy Warhol. Just like Andy, he has his own style, creating his own significant mark in the present times of today's art progression. His Mona Lisa holding a rocket launcher protests the politics at the time. As I said before, the Mona Lisa is now a symbol representing mankind. Now by giving this symbol a rocket launcher Banksy is questioning war, because the Mona Lisa is symbolising all of us which contributing to the beginning of war, maybe due to the capitalist society we live in today. This relates back to the Dada movement where the art created was in reaction to the war started by a high rise in capitalism. However, Banksy has identified the Mona Lisa as a powerful symbol within art and has used it to visually communicate strong political and questionably ethical issues. In conclusion the Mona Lisa has effectively turned into a symbol communicating different messages visually universally. In each instance I have outlined, she has been used to promote different opinions however because she is such an icon, recognition in each instance allows the consumer to adapt the symbol to the situation at that time. Consequently, resulting in mixed belongings, where the world famous while controversially infamous Mona Lisa is concerned.

David Foldvari - “Marmalade” Magazine (Unity)

“As far as I can tell, we’re in the middle of another turning point: purely digital images are no longer relevant, which has resulted in a return of traditional working methods – drawing, painting, printmaking. We are no longer interested in Photoshop colours and vectors, but at the same time we’re not retreating back to the 1980’s. Using computers is easy – working with your hands is hard. But it’s the only way forward.” (Contemporary Graphic Design, Book)

I think this image suggests unity in a stereotypical form. Is shows groups of people all of which you could relate the words ‘yob’, ‘disrupted youth’ and ‘criminals’ to. This image I think has been produced using pen and inks. I have no proof of this however from looking at what the designer has said and the marks made in the image it looks as if he has shaded the black using just an ordinary black pen because there are bits of white showing through. It does not look digitally rendered when looking closely. There are also smudge marks over the image giving a certain element of personality in the picture hinting a hands-on-approach.

The method in which he has created this image, suggests to me, that he has had a personal experience of what is being represented in the image, due to the fact that it has been personally developed using traditional methods. With a more hands-on-approach I feel more emotion can be developed.

Anyway, back to the symbol of unity shown within the image. The illustration groups together a stereotypical set of characters all merging into one another through the colour black. This hints at how all the people are united in some way. The people in the image all look to be youths, however the centre figure is a policeman in riot uniform. The policeman is what suggests to me that the image is about criminals all united, rioting against the police or maybe some ulterior motive.


My Response


I really liked how using traditional media, such as black pencil crayons provided me with the material to create a piece that looks quite rough and sketchy however still controls a strong meaning of unity. The sketchbook look of the image I think adds to its symbolism giving the impression that it is a thought simply needed to be recorded visually for others to see and create an opinion. I think it is like a silent discussion. I decided to create this image of protesters uniting around George Bush showing a strong unity of people protesting against somebody else just like in the image by David Foldvari.

What has let me down in this image is that there are no strong figures or characters representing the protesters however I do like the signs rising up from behind George Bush. Without the signs the images would not be recognized as a protest against War.

The reason for putting an arrow through his head is simply to give a visual representation of how the protestors feel about Bush. The colour used within the image helped me to highlight a key feature, the arrow, but also the colour red to provoke anger within the image. If you look close I have coloured small areas of the protestors red also just to show that the anger is running through the people. As for the colour blue that symbolises a cold and depressing situation. The bubble looks to be spreading out into the illustration, showing that the emotion is only going to spread and get worse if a War continues.

Haring – Best Bodies (Unity)

This is simple illustration of friendship; unity between two people. This is what I feel this image is highlighting. I love this image due to the fact of its simplicity. Even though the characters remind me of stick people with the same body form and no expression, the action of having one another’s arm around each other tells me that the two people are united in some way. Haring has also used marks coming off from around the characters heads, which highlight exclamation. Basically making the feeling we get from the image a lot stronger. The illustration achieves what is needed purely because of the bold shapes and vibrant contrasting colours. The colours are what make the image lively giving a positive sense of unity between the two people. Haring has used the method of less is more to his advantage by not confusing meaning or interpretation by not including irrelevant or extra detail that is not necessary.

Roy Lichtenstein – Kiss V (Uncertainty)

Lichtenstein has a very dominant comic book style due to the heavy illustrating with the weighted strokes plus the printing dots, which can be seen within the skin tones and the background of this image. Because of this method of approach to his work it conveys quite a lot of uncertainty in the meaning of each image. It can be left to interpretation. In this image we can see there is a woman crying on a mans shoulder however gripping him tightly and emotionally. I think the story behind this image is that there was a relationship going on between these two people however due to unseen circumstances they are breaking up. Although I think another possibility due to the facial expressions is that the two people have not seen each other for a long time and have just reunited creating tears of emotion in the woman? Either way I think the style of Lichtenstein is very contemporary and looks like pop art. I have not found any proof to the method of how he has created this but I think the best way to recreate something like this would be to use photography to compose your image and then work onto it as a guide in illustrator to create this comic style art. I think the printing dots add dramatically to the uncertainty portrayed in this image. To me, it makes me wonder whether this scenario is true or has it just been taken from a comic magazine.

My Response

I don’t feel that I have achieved the style of Lichtenstien fully in this image. There is a certain element, which I think it missing. Maybe the printing dots, I found these very hard to recreate in my image.

However I did use a photograph, which I had taken of my friends where a girl had her head in her hands while being comforted by a boy. I thought this was an appropriate image to symbolize uncertainty because the fact that she is covering her face you cannot see her facial expressions, although it would be common to think she was upset and being comforted. However the reason for being upset is not known, giving a sense of uncertainty within the image. It makes us want to find out the story behind these two people.

Although, I do like the effect the bright primary colours create. Suddenly the picture has this sense of uncertainty or lack of reality however the characters still look quite realistic due to their figures and facial expressions. It reminds me a lot of pop art from which I think a lot of uncertainty is symbolized and created just because of the bright, bold colours plus random meanings and images which are used within it.

Andy Warhol – Querelle (Uncertainty)

This piece by Andy Warhol symbolises uncertainty between the actions of a couple. In the image she looks very adamant that she will not react to his behaviour. She has her back turned so that he cannot see her facial expression. This will create a certain amount of uncertainty in his mind however he still seems adoment in trying to seduce her or get her to react. Andy Warhol usually uses silkscreen printing as his medium. By doing this he can control the use of colour in the image well plus keep a sense of photographic element in it. The style of Andy Warhol’s is consistent to that of Pop Art providing quite a savvy poster. The poster portrays an amount of sexual reference however it is uncertain to what extent the two people in the image know each other.

Because of the uncertainty in the image it intrigues me to want to find out more about these two people.



My Response


I couldnt use the medium of silk screen printing due to the facilities that I was availible to but I have tried to recreate his style the best I could using Photoshop. The image is of a boy sticking his toungue out behind a girl drinking a glass of wine. I took the image at a party that I had and thought that it would be inkeeping with Querelle by Andy Warhol.

Firstly using the image i had taken, I altered the levels dramitcally so that there were no midtones left in the, creating a stencil. Then by erasing all the white in the image and replacing it with a layer of orange it gave me something similar to that or Warhol's. I couldnt manage to get the orange as vibrant as that of Andy Warhols, however if I were to use the method of silkscreen printing it would look alot crisper and explosive in colour. I used Illustrator to create lines following contours of the image just like in Warhol's.

The way I think I have created uncertainty in this image is how the girl at the front is totally oblivious to what is going on directly behind her. The boy is making quite a sexual but humerous action towards her yet she has no idea. I like how the red toungue stands out giving the image a focal point. The image draws your eye to his toungue and then questions 'what is he doing here?' or 'why is he doing that?' This uncertainty is dominant within the image.

I think the outcome would be a lot more effective if I could use silk screen printing to create my response.

Edvard Munch – “The Dance Of Life” (Unity)

This painting created by Edvard Munch is depicting the unity in a woman and the stages throughout her life. To the left the figure is dressed in white and look of early age. This is the first stage of her life, as a young woman growing up into the world. This is also hinted by the fact there is a flower growing beside her, a sign of early life. She looks to be moving quickly with her arms opened. Munch has used the colour white for her dress purposefully to symbolize light, joy and purity. As we move across the image we see a couple dancing. There is a strong feeling of unity between these two people due to the fact of how her dress is wrapping around him plus they are holding hands hinting towards intimacy between the two people. This part of the image, represents a woman in the middle of her life, falling in love. A reason for me believing that is how the Much has used the colour red as a symbol of love and passion. Carrying on to the left of the image there is a woman dressed in black with a look of gloom. I think this woman symbolizes the end of the woman’s life due to the fact the colour black represents death. She is stood still with her hands clasped. This shows the woman could be elderly. Overall I think the artist Munch has created a very symbolic image uniting the life of a woman, highlighting three important stages of her life with the use of body posture and actions plus the use of colour in her dresses. I think the painting is very expressionist because of how the strokes look very fluent creating soft shapes providing emotion.

Pray - 1992 Johnathan Barnbrook

Pray - 1992

Johnathan Barnbrook revealing a hidden truth. The work of Johnathan Barnbrook is distinctively orientated around social and political affairs. The graphics he creates provide a visual message communicating a hidden truth in politics and in this case reason for war.

“Pasted up in the streets, these pieces highlight the decisive role that oil had in going to war. Subtle changes to powerful symbols such as the U.S. Air Force logo and the head of Christ put over Barnbrook’s real feelings about the conflict.”

“We wanted to comment on oil as the reason for military action. I used Saddam Hussain’s dubious justification - a war of Christians against Muslims. Therefore Jesus, rather than a halo of goodness, has a Shell oil logo halo.” (http://www.barnbrook.net/ - Johnathan Barnbrook on Pray - 1992)

This piece of communication is extremely effective symbolising a hidden or unspoken truth on the reason for going to war. The use of the Shell logo for a Halo symbolises Oil is the power behind the actions and decisions to go to war. The Shell logo itself has a representative shape of a halo which therefore makes the visual impact of the design more appealing.

The word ‘Pray’ above the military logo symbolizes that an action has been taken by the military to call upon God therefore Jesus is represented in this place, however, the message that is being given shows how oil has become the reasoning behind the War.

Overall the technique of using three recognisable symbols, Jesus, The Shell Logo and the Military Logo all combined together have created a symbolic message of War. The design is very simple however extremely effective encouraging the viewer to think about the real truths of War and the political decisions surrounding it.

The materials used to create this piece will have been Photoshop. Simply because it has been digitally constructed and Photoshop has all the capabilities to create this image. I think the reason he will have created the image digitally is that it could then be duplicated easily, seen as it was a poster to be pasted onto the streets.

My Response

In response to what I had understood about how Johnathan Barnbrook creates visual messages showing the underlying truth of War, I decided to attack the physical side of War. I have found out that the military sent soldiers into War over oil from Johnathans piece. I wanted to show how the military are treating people, basically as toys throwing them into War not for their country but to get control over oil.

I decided to keep my response very similar in layout to Johnathan Barnbrooks similarly using the logo for the military underneath a suggestive word under an image depicting an action from the military of what the truth actually is.

I used the word ‘play’ to suggest that the military might as well be using soldiers as toys, hence using a toy soldier in the depicting image. By having a toy soldier hanging against a cross gives the relation to religion like in Johnathan Barnbrooks piece with Jesus plus visually symbolises how soldiers are sacrificing themselves and being sent into war as if they were toys being played with by the military.

I created the image using Photoshop in the same way as I think Barnbrook would have created his.