Tomodachi
Format
Senior Art and Design Exhibition
Faculty Mentor Name
Daniel Kasser
Faculty Mentor Department
Art and Graphic Design
Abstract/Artist Statement
Tomodachi means friend in Japanese; it is also the title for my senior project. Throughout my youth growing up in Stockton, CA I was very influenced by Japanese culture through movies, animation and street apparel. I incorporate several aspects of these films and design ideas into my artworks. In my artwork “Hero Arises,” a film I watched as a teenager, I quote the expression from the film, Ping Pong. The premise of these artworks is escapism into another reality such as watching the opening scenes of a movie.
Like in all movies, color and composition are factors for establishing the mood and theme of any scene. Using San Francisco as the setting for my imagery, I significantly alter the colors of the photographs to create a sense of anonymity. Using a composite/photomontage approach to developing my compositions I inset titles using a Japanese calligraphic typeface. This element creates a spirited tension between the anonymous setting and titles proclamations.
This method invokes the feeling for the scenes of 1950s film noir, such as “Seven Samurai” by Akira Kurosawa. Several contemporary fashion designers such as Dylan Raasch’s Roshe Shoes, have also adapted this approach to their creations. Raacsh’s approach for Roshe derives from Japanese Zen Buddhism culture.
The artworks for my senior exhibition consists of several large-scale paper prints and graphic apparel. Through this approach I can explore my designs contrasting large-scale exhibition display with the functionality and economic accessibility of creative apparel. Applying my imagery to apparel, although not a new idea, is an indication of a new direction for disseminating my designs through “streetwear”. Streetwear fashion has influenced many younger generations that live in urban and suburban areas like Stockton.
Location
Reynolds Gallery
Start Date
19-4-2017 12:00 PM
End Date
13-5-2017 6:00 PM
Tomodachi
Reynolds Gallery
Tomodachi means friend in Japanese; it is also the title for my senior project. Throughout my youth growing up in Stockton, CA I was very influenced by Japanese culture through movies, animation and street apparel. I incorporate several aspects of these films and design ideas into my artworks. In my artwork “Hero Arises,” a film I watched as a teenager, I quote the expression from the film, Ping Pong. The premise of these artworks is escapism into another reality such as watching the opening scenes of a movie.
Like in all movies, color and composition are factors for establishing the mood and theme of any scene. Using San Francisco as the setting for my imagery, I significantly alter the colors of the photographs to create a sense of anonymity. Using a composite/photomontage approach to developing my compositions I inset titles using a Japanese calligraphic typeface. This element creates a spirited tension between the anonymous setting and titles proclamations.
This method invokes the feeling for the scenes of 1950s film noir, such as “Seven Samurai” by Akira Kurosawa. Several contemporary fashion designers such as Dylan Raasch’s Roshe Shoes, have also adapted this approach to their creations. Raacsh’s approach for Roshe derives from Japanese Zen Buddhism culture.
The artworks for my senior exhibition consists of several large-scale paper prints and graphic apparel. Through this approach I can explore my designs contrasting large-scale exhibition display with the functionality and economic accessibility of creative apparel. Applying my imagery to apparel, although not a new idea, is an indication of a new direction for disseminating my designs through “streetwear”. Streetwear fashion has influenced many younger generations that live in urban and suburban areas like Stockton.