Montage Statement

 

Statement: Montage

The images for this project were all chosen because of their similarity of visual aspects. For some it was color, for others it was the subject, and each was edited to relate and transition to the next. Because it's a subtle story in spite of being emotionally charged, I chose to use a muted color range with soft blues and yellows, using a darker blue effect on the images that were part of memories or dream sequences. I chose to represent it in painterly texture because I try to sympathize by putting myself in others' shoes, and I know that I would best deal with something of this magnitude through painting. And so the story is told the same way.

The sound was chosen after sampling several different bits of instrumental before I found one that was appropriate and assisted in narrating the story without taking over by causing the viewers to react through the rises and falls of the audio. The sound starts off sweet and melancholy, and progresses to tense, suspenseful crescendos as the woman, the protagonist, experiences a loss that ultimately leads her to take her own life.

                Although the experience of miscarriage isn't personal to me, it did happen to my aunt when I was a child. I remember her being devastated though I hadn't thought about it until I actually began on the project. Throughout the process, I began to think that the vague memories I have of her disappointment is probably what's caused me to develop such an aversion to pregnancy over the years. I realized that it has reached the point that my blood pressure elevates whenever the subject is approached. It me wonder about what kind of effect an event like that has on someone psychologically when they go through it first hand, which led me to create this montage as it stands now. It’s a heaviness that’s carried around forever.

traffic: a photo montage by esteban arturo

traffic from Esteban Arturo on Vimeo.

In my work, wether it is photography or video, I seek to arouse an emotion or feeling within the audience. It seems that a lot of art today has forgotten to do much of this, and relies more deeply in the "meaning" or "allusion" behind the work. Because of this, in TRAFFIC, I use sounds and momentum carried through each image to convey an environment, a situation, and a result.
   Exposition
            Climax
      Conclusion

Being the piece of the season, I wanted TRAFFIC to have some sort of representation of where I stand today. I was looking to create work that would depict relationships and the crash within it. The video itself starts of with some intensity created by the lighting and the sound behind the each image, but in an impromptu moment is interrupted by friction between the subjects. The audience feels the friction as the cuts between the images pick up speed, and the tempo of the actual montage heightens. The crash comes to a conclusion, the relationship is back to normal. The audience is looped back. It is once again the beginning. The traffic picks up again.

Project 1 - Montage

Project 1: Montage from Adreenah Wynn on Vimeo.

Artist Statement
In this video, I give my perspective of my hometown Apalachicola, Florida. This video is very personal. I let the viewer in to see my town through the eye of a local. This video is very informative and I hope the viewer leaves with a deeper understanding of why the locals feel so strongly about the nature, seafood, and history. The video is simple and in a documentary form. I used subtle techniques because I wanted to video to just flow and be more cohesive. I took the pictures myself because I wanted to show very specific view of Apalachicola. I think it would have lost the personal touch by just using Google images. I also edited them myself to make simple photoshop correction by sharpening the image and changing the brightness and contrast. The photo editing also made the work more cohesive.

I wrote and recorded the narrative myself. I wanted the words to help the viewer have a better understanding of my perspective of the town. While the photos work well on their own, I feel like the narrative and nature sounds help to pull the viewer in. I used ocean and bird noises to make the viewer feel like they were actually experiencing part of the town.

I tried too express the idea that things that don’t seem important like oyster shells and old houses are actually beautiful and necessary. By showing these things surrounded by sunsets, the river, and nature scenes it uses intellectual montage and helps the viewer see all the elements as something beautiful. Looking at the images by itself you would not get this effect. When the images are merged together and edited the same way the viewer understands that the different images are held on the same pedestal. We have the same appreciation for the nature as we do for the old houses and shells. The narrative helps to convey this idea. All the images are of different things but they all have the same subject matter. The meanings of the images are changed when arranged in this specific format.

I decided to name my work “No Place Like Home” because Apalachicola is unique. Also, the title fits because I would only feel this strongly about my hometown and no other place because there is “No Place Like Home.”

More information on intellectual montage can be found here.

Montage Concept

Im dumbfounded by clashes between people and the relationships they hold. With my friends with jokingly bitch at each other ad thus, I want to re create a scene in which you argument intensifies, and then you go back to normal.

Montage Project Idea

For the first project I'm going to inspire me in the city I live in Brazil, Rio de Janeiro. The images will portray Rio de Janeiro on sunny days, the beauty of its landscape and as 'the cariocas’ live these days. With this project, I wish to convey how is the day of the weekend, from sunrise to sunset. Also, this video shows the happiness and vitality of the Brazilian people and the result will make me feel less lack there of.

Montage Project Ideation

My idea for this project focuses on a dark subject. The purpose of the set of images it to tell a simple story about pregnancy with evocative images. Pregnancy is an uncomfortable subject for me for no other reason than that it makes me uncomfortable (I'm not really sure when or why it started) so I thought this project would be a good outlet to deal with some of that discomfort through subtle imagery.
The tones and colors are all muted and soothing and the recurring image of birds throughout the image set foreshadow difficult obstacles and a descent into depression and madness.

Montage Project Idea

Working with the idea of the monster under the bed, i've decided to change-up the story of the boogeyman. My montage sets out to cause the audience to feel worry for the subject--a girl getting ready for bed--as a monster snakes its way out from under her bed, only to feel relief when the creature only seems to have come out to tuck her in. The scenes will alternate between a girl as she prepares for sleep (brushing her hair, setting her alarm, etc.) and the monster as it carefully watches her feet shuffle around and cautiously crawls out and pulls the blanket up over her.

Montage Project Idea

For project 1 I was inspired by old vacation photos (seen below). They all have a very faded quality and seem a little yellow over all. I like the memories they evoke and since I spent the weekend in Berkeley, CA so I used my photos from my trip and edited them to give them the same old vacation look these photos have.