Conducting research is one of the most enjoyable parts of the design and project process for me, albeit a time-consuming part. Through our group's constant dialogue throughout this module, one member, Tegan, shared with the group an artist that she thought my portrait experimentation work resembled and reminder her of. I was, naturally, curious about taking a look at the artist's work.
Marcelo Monreal is a Brazilian collage artist who takes the portraits of people and distorts them using a style where the head is split into various elements, and the voids where that are left are filled with a wide array of beautiful flora. The result is a stunning example of graphic artistry and digital skill.
This artist for me and his fondness of using aspects of nature in his work struck a chord with me. At first glance, I assumed that the floral aesthetic was in response to the now culturally trendy theme of climate change and the protection of nature. It was heartwarming to learn that this style has roots based in his family and of being in the garden with his mother where she told him that people are made out of flowers. In an attempt to keep her memory alive, maybe even blooming, he uses flora in his works to honour her. ("Interview With Marcelo Monreal", n.d.).
When taking stock of his works, you can see that the works have developed over time, where his recent works are much more elaborate in comparison. This detail and eclectic work seem to hold the viewer's attention, where the viewer is focused on absorbing every detail of the piece, knowing they will not be able to truly take it all in. Naturally, I always think about how work can be improved upon and how the work could be taken into another field of design. Monreal's work made me think about how his pieces would work within the motion graphic space. Could these flowers animate and bloom out of the face and body? Could the flora change through seasons? How would Monreal work with flora in winter when the types of flora are very different in comparison to those of spring and summer?
In an interview, Monreal said that it usually takes two days to complete a piece and that, over the years he has learnt the shape of the face and in particular where to make the cuts and how many to do. Years, however, is not the allotted time I have at my disposal to be able to make my graphic responses in a similar style. Through my recent experimentation with the cutting and replacing style, I am learning the basics of where cuts could be made, however, my next steps after investigating Monreal's work is to study how he cuts the faces. How do they differ depending on the angle of the photograph? How many cuts are present? How does he determine the use of background objects?
I am excited to not only be exposed to Monreal's work but to also see how his pieces, and studying them, will impact my final responses.
References and Figure List:
Fig 01
Monreal, M. (n.d.). Portrait. [Image]. https://www.myboyb.com/featured-artist-friday-marcelo-monreal-cuts-into-inner-beauty/
Fig 02
Monreal, M. (n.d.). Portrait. [Image]. https://www.myboyb.com/featured-artist-friday-marcelo-monreal-cuts-into-inner-beauty/
Fig 03
Monreal, M. (n.d.). Portrait. [Image]. https://www.facebook.com/marcelomonrealartist/
Fig 04
Monreal, M. (n.d.). Portrait. [Image]. https://samcdesignblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/13/the-digital-glamour-of-marcelo-monreal/
Fig 05
Monreal, M. (n.d.). Portrait. [Image]. https://www.instagram.com/p/BNaM2ozjfcC/?taken-by=marcelomonreal&hl=en
Fig 06
Monreal, M. (n.d.). Portrait. [Image]. https://www.myboyb.com/featured-artist-friday-marcelo-monreal-cuts-into-inner-beauty/
Fig 07
Monreal, M. (n.d.). Portrait. [Image]. http://www.contemporaryartcuratormagazine.com/home-2/marcelo-monreal2
Interview With Marcelo Monreal. (n.d.). Photographize. https://www.photographize.co/interviews/marcelomonreal/.
Marcelo Monreal. (n.d.). Ideas & Processes.
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