“UNDR CTRL”
Taking inspiration from nostalgia and music to create these pieces that display independence and self-worth. The Little Mermaid was a film that I frequently watched, which shaped me into a very curious and adventurous person. I carry a lot of Ariel's personality within myself like her ambition and creative imagination. As I grew older and expanded more in life, I began to take my inspiration for almost everything from my music. One album that means the most to me is CTRL by SZA. SZA chose "Ctrl" as the title of her album because it reflects her reflections on control and her own journey of self-discovery. The album explores themes of relationships, identity, and the complexities of navigating life's challenges. Finding her true authentic self took RLtrials and tribulations as we all experience when in a transitional part of life. I took these two themes and merged them into a monotype print design to capture the aesthetic and favorites parts of the two.
THE PROLOGUE
Taking inspiration from nostalgia and music to create these pieces, my first print of the series references a book cover to represent fantasy children's books, which were a big part of my childhood. I don't remember a night were my sisters and I weren't reading a Disney princess or fantasy book. We were consumed in the fantasy culture where we could let our imaginations run free.
For me, as a little girl, The Little Mermaid was everything. I admired her carefree spirit and bubbly personality; she was always on the move, searching for a new experience. I chose to include the phrase “Out of this sea, wish I could be” to resemble the ambitious dream young girls have and how they carry it with them growing up, working to make it a reality. The broken TV and static come from SZA’s CTRL album cover, which are the trials and tribulations we face on the road to our future, and the bumps in the road we must overcome to carry on.
STATIC CTRL
For this second print, I took inspiration from the old VHS TVs. Old technology and the simple living of children were something that was so normalized before the high-speed and wireless electronics took over. Nowadays, we see not only children and young adults glued to their cell phones but adults as well. We lose track of simple living and enjoying a feel-good movie at the end of a long day, playing outside with your feet in the grass. This is visualizing an abandoned TV left to sink to the bottom. Collecting seaweed and algae, showing the progression of time from being a child growing up into a young adult and losing sight of your inner child.
SELF CTRL
While I was ideating the creation of this project, I was eager to get my hands dirty and get back into fine art after having most of my classes on the computer for graphic design. I first got into the arts by drawing and painting as a little girl. As I reached the end of high school and started college, I expanded into digital and graphic design art. I decided to combine the two for this series to show my side of fine arts and handmade art with typography. From SZA’s song, Drew Barrymore, “Why is it so hard to accept the party is over?” It is a line that resonates with me and my life experiences over the past years. It's hard to return to your normal self and carry on when you're stuck in a sort of post-serotonin haze. Something could feel so real and so right, and all of a sudden, it's what's destroying you most, but all you can highlight are the easy, fun parts.