Beyond Face Value

Graphic design has been a key part of my life for many years now, however I have mainly approached it from a very technical perspective. For me, it was always about making designs for a product, whether it was a brochure, an advertisement, or a website. Over the course of my five years at the University of Waterloo, my eyes have been opened to a new way of using graphic design - for art.  I have never thought about using my design skills for a greater purpose than branding a person or selling a product. It wasn't until studying art history that my eyes were opened to many amazing artists who do this, however one really resonated with me: Barbara Kruger.

My Body is a Battleground - 1989

Kruger uses the very graphical style of advertising to catch the attention of the viewer.  However, you can see that she is not advertising a product or a person, but bringing to the public realm a very heated topic at the time (and still is in some senses) - women's rights. This piece in particular has really resonated with me since taking an Art and Gender class in my 3rd year here at Waterloo. I was immediately captivated by how she uses very simple but very bold imagery and text to engage the viewer and make them think about how women are portrayed in society. Women have had to fight for their rights not only in the public realm, but over their bodies as well. In so much of the media then, and today, women are objectified to become a spectacle for the viewer. We can all think to the commercials of flawless women and immediately understand that society values the body over inner beauty. She also comments on consumerism by using images that would be found in the very magazines of the time.

Her work has really motivated me to push the boundaries of my design skills in a conceptual way. I am looking to do something similar to her work, but in a topic that is very prominent in my life - questioning ourselves. It sounds like a broad concept, but I know that every single person can think to a time when they felt lost, confused, scared of the direction they were going in and if they were making the right decision. This has been a prominent theme for me as I am enrolled in the co-op program, and I have been bouncing between school and the working world for five years now. Each term I had to make an adjustment, and that transitioning period is always one of distress and uncertainty. Now the only question is how it will take shape...