My sustained investigation focuses on Tarot cards and how important milestones in life can evoke
certain emotions. My pieces are not remaking the designs, but rather reimagining them. For
example, the Death card is about the end of a phase in one's life and depicts a skeleton riding a horse.
In my rendition of the card, I took a less literal approach. I hoped to make this piece very ambiguous,
allowing the viewer to make up the meaning themselves. I wanted them to ask, "What will the
smiley face replace? Why is death depicted in a positive light?" Overall, I enjoy how all of
the pieces represent the different feelings that their cards evoke. Moving forward, I plan to adapt
the more simplistic style of my Death card and Hermit card, rather than the detailed design seen
in the Moon card.
(My Death card next to the original Rider Waite version.)
I really love the death card and that you digitally added a testing paper for the paint. Such a good touch.
ReplyDeleteJulianna, your conceptual approach and exploration of deliberate ambiguity of meaning and content in the death card signals a major creative developmental leap. I am always interested in how the addition or inclusion of text can change our visual perception or offer redirection for our initial comprehension of an image. Think for example, of how text panels in museums can simultaneously inform visitors/viewers while at the same time foreclose the possibility of them generating their own, personally-determined meanings and interpretation of the artwork (if they are read first, before the viewer looks deeply). In parallel thought, I am curious to see how these illustrations change once they are overlaid on a card template with the word signifier or title. Will it add meaning and insight to the work? Detract meaning or insight? It will be interesting to see how people interpret these as individual pieces, then with the card title, and then even as a series versus individual works of art. Great reflection.
ReplyDeleteI think that your distinctive style shows through in each piece. What cards do you have planned for the future? Will you make them as ambiguous as the death card, or will you lay out a more strict interpretation?
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