Digital Design: Untitled Collage

Establishing form in art is one of the most important characteristics in defining a piece. In this case, I wanted to create a collage from spare fragments and appropriated images with digital tools. Once again returning to Photoshop, I had the idea to create a collage surrounding a motivational theme. By now, everybody should be familiar with the metaphorical idea of "climbing your way to the top." It is a good quote and mindset to develop as you progress into the real world, as hard work pays off. There is no title to the collage (partially because I couldn't think of one), but its value lies in the message communicated through visuals.

Untitled Collage (2022)

The first approach to the collage was to visually represent the strenuous climb to success. As the collage shows, the person climbing is composed not of human characteristics, but fragmented images to build texture and resemble the shape of a human. The images used include parts of magazine covers and photographs of outside scenery. The giant rock is made from many skyline views of New York, and from a map showing the state. Having the rock be composed of New York was a personal choice, as some of my artwork references aspects of my life (in this case, where I live). No texture of an actual rock is shown, except for the basic shape. After taking a course in digital painting, I was taught how to create a sufficient digital collage in Photoshop. While we see the person climbing, another individual extends their arm for support. What makes this interesting is unlike the other person, this one is characterized by typography and text. The viewer can see the words "Opportunity" and "Experiences." These two words are commonly affiliated with the positive results of putting in the effort, and the rewards that follow. In the background, a photograph of the outside can be seen. I took this picture around a year ago as part of another project, but I've applied new effects to increase its visual appeal.

More often than not, I like to make a collage not only for the visual characteristics but to communicate to my audience. In this case, it can be used as a motivation for success, and to never give up. There are times when we are faced with adversity, but can never give in unless we want our opportunities to slip between our fingertips. From personal experiences, I've faced many instances where I could have given up, both related to art and the real world. Has there been a moment where you felt great about putting your mind at work, then achieving success later on?