This series is Color Studies 1-5, respectively. When I first began this series, I wanted to focus more on color rather than on form and shape. Although there is still some form in this series, color seems to be more at the forefront. I usually begin my work in Photoshop by blending different gradient color layers and then layering with various stock images as well as other images. I blend these together and abstract the image layer by layer to create a new image. In order to accomplish this, I usually rely on the adjustment "Threshold." My intuition and gut feelings are what tell me when my pieces are complete and each work in this series embodies an aspect of who I am.
"First Color Study" relies more heavily upon color, although I added and combined images that displayed "glitch" in some form to create and recreate the abstractions seen. This piece sets the precedent for the others in this series. A center, vertical, contrasting line or element is a common theme throughout this series. In "First Color Study" this is seen with the light green color in the middle sharply contrasted by the bright purple form in the center.
When creating "Second Color Study," I constantly felt that I was trying to recreate the magic of the first. While there is a similarity between the first and second with center line, this version soon became its own piece. I was also looking to juxtapose the vertical line with horizontal ones, yet I did not want this piece to be entirely linear. The wavelike motion overlaps the horizontal lines acting as a contrasting element.
"Third Color Study" was created primarily using various flags and overlapping the images to create the finalized image below. I chose to stay with the theme of linearity, however this is broken up by the semi-circle in the center. While keeping with the theme of lines, I wanted to focus on the intersection of lines in the center of the piece. The form of this particular piece reminds me of the sun symbol from the Zia people, which is portrayed on the New Mexican state flag. This piece feels like home to me because of the memories of the various summers I spent living in New Mexico and visiting family.
At this stage in the series, I began to slightly diverge from the aesthetic of the first three pieces in "Fourth Color Study." I primarily focused on vertical lines with overlapping images. I also introduced images depicting "code," which I layered into the image. After working on this piece for some time I noticed that I was encountering a problem. Because there were multiple vertical lines, this work was initially lacking a center focal point. This piece was the starting point of me introducing more "aesthetic glitch" into the image than in the previous three. I was pleasantly surprised with the center focal point that was created as I continued to edit this image.
"Fifth Color Study" is a throwback to my early digital artwork that I made when I was completing my PhD. Those works centered on the idea of glitch aesthetic embodying the idea of trauma, thus creating a "glitched" memory. There is still the center, vertical line highlighting the focal point of this piece. I made the conscious decision when creating this work to include more visual, aesthetic glitch. As a result, this art work, more than the others, feels like it fully embodies who I am. I am imperfect, yet my imperfections create beauty within my life. Additionally, my colorful personality and my soul are reflected in the full spectrum of color. I am both light and darkness, yet I am integrated into one beautiful picture.
