Directed Study - Visual Design in the wild

City of colours

When looking around Digbeth, there were a few pieces of graffiti/artwork that caught my eye due to the bright colours but also the simplicity of the pieces. This one in particular caught my eye firstly because of the different range of colours used and how they all merge together. When I look at this piece I think of time and space and I can see how woman is surrounded by circular objects which could represent planets or orbs to maybe suggest a connection with earth and space. This is a 2D piece and focuses mainly on circles/spheres which could be planets. When looking at the meaning of circles I discovered they symbolise the moon/earth, infinity and wholeness, this could relate back to how the woman being a human life form and space surrounding her is the two sharing a connection. The  circle symbol is universal, sacred and divine, it represents the infinite nature of energy and the inclusivity of the universe, the circle also embodies a spiritual energy. This could be part of the message that the painter has tried to create. 

The colours are all very bold which makes every individual colour stand out, both warm and cold colours are used together, although more cold colours have been used to represent space, this also creates the mood which seems to be quite desolate but the woman looks peaceful, as if she is taking in her surroundings. The painting is very detailed and the circles have been painted perfectly, shadows and the blending of two different colours have made some of the circles almost 3D, the spheres look like they're floating towards you. As the piece has been painted onto bricks, which some of the circles highlight, it gives the piece a rough and rocky feel which I think emphasises the planets. Spray paint has been used to create this piece and possibly the use of paint brushes to define the circles, shape the woman's face and blend colours together. 

I think this piece of artwork says a lot about the connection between time and space, the woman being time and space that is surrounding her. I feel this piece could possibly be illustrating how for humans time is so important whereas in space time is pretty none existent. She is almost becoming a part of space, it is emerging all around her. I think the creator of this piece painted this to express time standing still, the woman is in an environment where time does not exist she seems content with her surroundings and isn't in a world where everything is controlled by time, thats what i think the creator is trying to say in this piece. 

I think this piece is very engaging, the colours immediately attract my attention, although this piece does have a message and I have interpreted that message in my own way, personally I don't share a connection with this piece myself, it doesn't mean anything specific to me. However it does make me feel maybe us, as humans, take time for granted and that I wish I could go to a place where time doesn't matter and I don't have to think about it, like the woman in this piece. 

After looking around Digbeth I decided I would look around my home town, Nottingham. When walking around one of the most popular parks in my area, I came across the skate park which has been professionally spray painted to represent the town. This is very memorable to me as it is where my childhood is, me and my friends used to hang around at this park and when I think of it it reminds me of good childhood memories. I really love the idea of spray painting the skate ramp as it stops people from vandalising it in their own way, instead it has bright contrasting colours to appeal to the younger generation and  it means something to the people who live here and use this park on a daily basis. Before the skate ramp was falling to pieces and was plain, old, boring wood, these colours have really livened the park up instead of being dull. 
This piece of art is really appealing and eye catching and is attracting to the target audience and also attracts other people. As a former user of this park, when I first saw this I felt happier because finally something interesting had been brought to the park and something that we all liked and could relate to, before other people had graffitied on the ramp which made it look ruined and old, now it looks almost brand new. 
In comparison to the graffiti in Digbeth, this one isn't as detailed or as skilled however it is reaching out to a different audience and doesn't have to necessarily be the best art work, as the target audience is children, detail isn't an essential, the use of colours and graffiti itself is enough to capture their attention and amaze them. Whereas in Digbeth it is known as the 'City of colours' and it is important for art work to stand out and have meaning, especially around the time of the graffiti festival. However both pieces of graffiti stand out individually in their own way and each represent and have meaning for different people, as this piece means something to me and represents my home town, this has to be my favourite.