plugging along
4 score and scarerrorism
my “good cop, bad cop” or “mighty morphing power presidents” final project is coming along. i feel at ease with how things are looking and look forward continuing on with the addition of more twists here and there. i am trying to make the two faces pop out at the same time to create confusion as well as keep the viewer interested with the overall composition of the piece. there is a lot i want to do and can do but i don’t want to kill this piece as i truly am enjoying the production of it as a student AND an artist.
July 28, 2008 at 9:39 pm
I like how the eyes are coming along. I think they can play a big role in creating the “wierdness.”
July 30, 2008 at 4:12 am
Kyle, I think this is doing what you wanted. I keep looking back and forth at the eyes. Each face takes over as I look at that eye and then it shifts.
You said you didn’t want to kill that piece–are you saving it as different versions as you go along? Of course that doesn’t always keep me from messing up. Seems like I do more reconstruction in my remediating.
I look forward to seeing your final piece. Susan
July 30, 2008 at 11:25 pm
Kyle,
When I first looked at the image of Lincoln, he appeared sinister. The smile is sly and of the variety staged for a photograph. The eyes stilled in a menacing glare. It is a dispassionate gaze filled with a predetermined notion. I thought the two prominent features were in conflict with everything I’d ever read about Abraham Lincoln. So I was curious to read the narrative to learn why the image had been altered. I was surprised to read that an image of George Bush had been fused with Lincolns. I clearly missed it in the first examination. So I studied the piece again in greater detail and could see a likeness of Bush emerge and the maps in the background.
It is ironic that you merged the images of these to presidents. It’s larger than one was “good” and one is “bad.” Lincoln was an incredibly brilliant, reflective man. He studied and discussed ideas always in an effort to expand his view and understanding of the world. He agonized about the Civil War and the death toll it took. In fact, there was a period where he became significantly depressed under the weight of the presidency during this time. He was a just and fair man. He not only favored the abolition of slavery, he also believed women had right to vote. In 1864, he invited Sojourner Truth to the White House to honor her for her tireless fight for these just causes.
The only thing George W. Bush has in common with Lincoln is that they have both shared the Oval office. According to Scott McClellan, George W. Bush is known for making decisions by “following his gut reaction” rather than researching and reflecting upon an issue. His primary mode of operation is to make a decision and never reevaluate it. Being convinced by his aids, he sent US soldiers into Iraq with unwavering determination. He has not swayed from his original stance, and he has failed to consider critical input along the way so that adjustments in tactics could be made. His resolve is so great, that proving the administration’s position has surpassed a rationale that the war is being fought for just reasons. If as McClellan suggests, President Bush relied on propaganda about weapons of mass destruction to sell the idea of going to war in the first place, then your image of the sly, sinister smile on the trusted American president is timely and well-placed. Disturbingly, the menacing glare of the eyes reflects the dispassionate gaze of a president filled with determined, self-righteousness. Therefore, you have successfully accomplished your artistic intent. I enjoy seeing your ideas materialize.