Digital Design: Separated by Space, But Not by Heart

Since I've practiced with digital editing software for a number of years now, I figured to try something a bit different from my usual work. Everything in my portfolio so far has consisted of a singular piece to describe the theme. This time, I had something different planned and decided to make a dual collage. The idea in mind was a series where a person leans against a wall, wanting to hear or possibly connect to the other side. To do this, I've used the same image as an inspiration but mirrored it for the right side. The final result is the combination of two separate pieces for a singular story.

Separated by Space, But Not by Heart (2022)

The title of this collage is Separated by Space, But Not by Heart (2022). The name came to me from the feeling of knowing somebody well enough, but there's that time when a social contact is impossible. Has there ever been a time where you felt a strong relationship with somebody, but there's that one obstacle that prevents you from being together in the same space? Perhaps a literal or metaphorical instance? This is a piece that personally connected with my experiences for the past two years. Due to the ongoing pandemic, meeting up with friends has become challenging, and there's that struggle that prevents us from meeting up. It's just that one barrier that you want to knock down, and break free from those limitations. At the same time, your mind becomes at ease understanding that not everything is possible, and you need to make the best of what's offered. Even if we can't meet those in person, they are still with us in our hearts (and our contact lists).

The design choices of the collage came with the idea of emphasizing the differences we see in life. For example, the background textures are completely different, and the colors are across from each other on the color wheel. You might have noticed that the person on both sides has a similar appearance, and you would be correct. In this case, I based it on the same photograph but used different fragments to create their bodies. Some of their textural qualities don't make sense from a logical viewpoint, but this isn't the intention. In fact, some people might completely understand why vastly different textures and imagery are used for the collage. Everybody thinks differently, but that's the unique thing about us. If we all thought the same way, it would be a boring world to live in.