Artist Statement

My initial idea with this zine project was to create or continue the conversation between good and evil: the two most fundamental forces in nature. Throughout much of the Photoshop pieces I created, I maintained this vision; however many of the Illustrator pieces skewed from this initial idea. This then developed into my Brainstorm #1 idea which surrounded pop art and the culture of post war America. There is something “good” about the nostalgia which comes from this era, despite many of the political and social issues which occurred at this time. My favorite portion of this project was utilizing Photoshop. While I enjoy some of the processes involved in creating Illustrator pieces, I have had more experience with Photoshop and truly enjoy creating art with that medium. I guess you could say there is a hierarchy of the pieces I made in which some of the earlier, less rushed, Photoshop pieces rank higher than some of the illustrator ones. Within Illustrator, though, I enjoyed making the Nixon piece. I became more concerned with the visually appealing, rather than my message. I do not believe that that is an issue, though. The purpose of art is not always to convey a premeditated message, the theme can develop and change over time. Ultimately, I enjoyed this project in a way which was not expected. I worked briefly with Photoshop while studying abroad, and was still unsure of my skills within the area. I know now I have some creative freedom to use the tools I have learned.