Design Principles / Project 2
28/02/2024 - 6/03/2024 / Week 3 - Week 5
Iman binti Kamarudin / 0364014
Design Principles / Bachelors of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Iman binti Kamarudin / 0364014
Design Principles / Bachelors of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Task 2
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Study the design principles found in your chosen artwork, as well as the
size, placement, purpose, effectiveness of the design in relation to the
UNSDG goal that you have chosen.
2. Write a 300- to 350-word visual analysis of the artwork, with references
where applicable
"Christ with Shopping Bags" by Banksy (2004)
Banksy
Christ with Shopping Bags
2004
50cm x 70cm
Screen Print on Paper
This artwork is in a portrait orientation and has a full body figure visible
in the middle of the canvas. At first glance, the figure is in a cross pose
and seems to be floating. Additionally, he is holding shopping bags in his
hands and there is a white 'halo' above his head. After processing, you are
able to understand that the figure is meant to be Jesus Christ being
crucified, except without the cross. The whole artwork is in black and white
except with a small touch of pink on the ribbons of the gifts. There is no
use of lineart and all subjects are defined by light and shadow.
Furthermore, there is a thick white border surrounding the painting.
The artwork makes use of symmetrical balance which gives it emotional
impact as it creates a major focal point. There is also contrast in
colour, where Banksy makes use of a pink to highlight and emphasise the
gifts and shopping bags further and to draw the audience’s attention
towards them. Furthermore, there are lines dripping down from the subject
and the shopping bags. The downward direction does a great job at
portraying weight and making the figure look as if it is being dragged
down.
In my interpretation, the deeper meaning of this artwork is a commentary on
consumerism and how taxing it can be, both financially and mentally. The
contrast in colour serves to highlight the main aspect of the artwork that
the artist wishes the readers to focus on; the gifts. In the leftmost bag,
there is a candy cane popping out. This may be a nod to Christmas and how in
modern times, it has become more about shopping and gifting extravagant
items rather than its original purpose, to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Furthermore, in the bag on the right, you can see the distinct ears of
Mickey Mouse. This could be a hint towards the effect of capitalism on
Christmas, as big name brands tend to create ‘Christmas-themed’ products
targeted specifically for the holidays. The dripping lines coming from all
the subjects could also signify sweat and blood. The use of sweatshops is
often very common with fast fashion. Brands often take advantage of
desperate individuals from third-world countries to do the heavy lifting and
hard work of creating their products, and these sweatshops usually place
their workers in unsafe environments and working conditions.
Draft #2
"Christ with Shopping Bags" by Banksy (2004)
Banksy
Christ with Shopping Bags
2004
50cm x 70cm
Screen Print on Paper
This artwork is in a portrait orientation and has a full body figure
visible in the middle of the canvas. At first glance, the figure is in a
cross pose and seems to be floating. Additionally, he is holding shopping
bags in his hands and there is a white 'halo' above his head. After
processing, you are able to understand that the figure is meant to be
Jesus Christ being crucified, except without the cross. The whole artwork
is in black and white except with a small touch of pink on the ribbons of
the gifts. (96 words)
The artwork makes use of symmetrical balance which gives it
emotional impact as it creates a major focal point. There is also
contrast in colour, where Banksy makes use of a pink to highlight
and emphasise the gifts and shopping bags further and to draw the
audience’s attention towards them. Furthermore, there are lines dripping
down from the subject and the shopping bags. The downward
movement does a great job at portraying weight and making the
figure look as if it is being dragged down. (85 words)
In my interpretation, the contrast in colour serves to highlight the main
aspect of the artwork that the artist wishes the readers to focus on; the
gifts. In the leftmost bag, there is a candy cane popping out. This may be
a nod to Christmas and how in modern times, it has become more about
shopping and gifting extravagant items rather than its original purpose,
to celebrate the birth of Jesus. In the bag on the right, you can see the
distinct ears of Mickey Mouse, which could be a hint towards the effect of
capitalism on Christmas, as big name brands tend to create
‘Christmas-themed’ products targeted specifically for the holidays. The
dripping lines coming from all the subjects could also signify sweat and
blood. The use of sweatshops is often very common with fast fashion, and
these sweatshops usually place their workers in unsafe environments and
working conditions. (150 words)
Fig 1.1 - https://wunderkammern.net/artistswk/blek-le-rat/
This style reminds me of another street artist, Blek le Rat. According to
Randall, M. (2014), he is the father of stencil graffiti and whom
catapulted stencils from lettering and basic shapes to life-sized
artworks. In Fig 1.1, you can see the resemblance of extreme light and
shadow being used to define the subjects in black and white.
References:
Blek Le Rat. Urban Nation. N.d.
https://urban-nation.com/artist/blek-le-rat/
https://www.widewalls.ch/magazine/10-stencil-artists/blek-le-rat-1
Final Draft #3
Fig 1.1 - "Christ with Shopping Bags" by Banksy (2004)
Banksy
Christ with Shopping Bags
2004
50cm x 70cm
Screen Print on Paper
Observation
This artwork is in a portrait orientation and has a full body figure
visible in the middle of the canvas. At first glance, the figure is in a
cross pose and seems to be floating. Additionally, he is holding shopping
bags in his hands and there is a white 'halo' above his head. The whole
artwork is in black and white except with a small touch of pink on the
ribbons of the gifts. There is no use of lineart and all subjects are
defined by strong shapes of light and shadow. Furthermore, there is a
thick white border surrounding the painting. (102 words)
Analysis
The artwork makes use of symmetrical balance which gives
it emotional impact as it creates a major focal point. There is
also contrast in colour, where Banksy makes use of a pink
to highlight and emphasise the gifts and shopping bags further and to draw
the audience’s attention towards them. Furthermore, there are lines
dripping down from the subject and the shopping bags. The
downward movement does a great job at portraying weight
and making the figure look as if it is being dragged down. (85 words)
Fig 1.2 - https://wunderkammern.net/artistswk/blek-le-rat/
Fig 1.3 - https://www.graffitistreet.com/store/dot-dot-dot-bumfire-ap-print/
Interpretation
This style reminds me of another street artist, Blek le Rat. According to
Randal, M. (2014), he is the father of stencil graffiti and whom catapulted
stencils from lettering and basic shapes to life-sized artworks. In Fig 1.2,
you can see the resemblance of extreme light and shadow being used to define
the subjects in black and white. This is common as well in Dot Dot Dot's
work (Fig 1.3). All three artists are considered stencil graffiti artists
who create reactionary work related to social issues.
Graffiti and street art is based on the idea of art meant to be shared and accessible by members of the public and is usually used as a form of expression for artists in response to social issues. Street art and graffiti are highly frowned upon and even illegal in some areas which, in a way, makes the art form so much more admirable. By being a street artist, you will always run the risk of your art being temporary and being caught by law enforcement. Stencil graffiti is useful in this scenario as it offers speed, consistency and readability. (186 words)
Total Words: 373 words
References:
Randal, M. 2014, October 6. "10 Stencil Artists Whose Clever Works You Should Know". Widewalls Magazine. https://www.widewalls.ch/magazine/10-stencil-artists/blek-le-rat-1
Duncan, A. 2019, April 17. "Street and Graffiti Art Movement Overview and Analysis". The Art Story. https://www.theartstory.org/movement/street-art/
“A Brief History of Stencil Art”. 2016, 5 July. Open Walls. https://openwallsgallery.com/what-is-a-stencil/
FEEDBACK
Week 5
Specific Feedback - Separate the paragraphs with headings to
make it easier to read. Talk more about the design elements used and for the
interpretation, talk more about the similarities of the artists/artworks and
about the specific art movement they belong to.
REFLECTION
My experience with this task was slightly stressful as I had a limited time
compared to others to complete it. Additionally, it was a bit hard trying to
find similar artists or similar artworks related to consumerism or stencil
graffiti. Writing and research was never my strong suit so I do think that
it hindered me a little during this task however in the end I managed to get
it done.
I observed that stencil graffiti artists with similar tastes as Banksy are
hard to find information for as a lot of them keep anonymous or go by
aliases and don't usually use social media. I also found that most of the
time you could only find their artworks in gallery/auction websites.
FURTHER READING
Wall and Piece by Banksy. (January 1, 2005)
Banksy's Wall and Piece is a great beginning insight into graffiti and the thought process that some street artists possess. There is some good humor woven in between the pages alongside graffiti art. The book essentially goes into Banksy's past and his thoughts and experience that shaped him into the artist that he is today.
Although the most in depth feelings I felt were only at the beginning of the book, it was still a fun read. I'm not quite sure there was anything for me to learn aside from Banksy's escapades however I do feel like it was a refreshing read because of how unserious some passages sound. He wasn't pretending to higher than thou and acting as if his graffiti was the only revolutionary graffiti art that was made.
The Meaning Behind Banksy's Rats by Donna Haden. (5 April 2021)
I didn't know there was much to be said about rat art but this article proved me somewhat wrong! I found myself thinking alongside the author about the meanings behind Banksy's rats and it was quite enjoyable. After a certain point the article lists out artworks and as you scroll you find yourself analysing them all.
I found that the way Banksy depicts rats is quite entertaining in a way and it helps to remove the fear or disgust that you harbour for them for a second.
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