Final Project

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Visual Analysis

Observation

The composition of The Che poster is in portrait format. As for visual elements, the main colors observed are red and black. Overall, it is a very straightforward design. The color tone in the painting is very bright and the use of black and white on the subject matter creates the highest contrast possible, especially, when the background is added a solid red color that creates a very obvious emphasis on the face. Due to the very contrasting color choices, the atmosphere of the poster is very dramatic and thought-provoking. The Guevara's face in the poster - seen slightly from below, with his gaze directed above and beyond the viewers.

Analysis

The poster was a two-color screen print, with the yellow star on the beret colored in by hand with a magic marker. The original Korda print was altered in subtle ways and the eyes were given a slightly more upward gaze, thus creating a somewhat ‘saintly’ appearance. Fitzpatrick admits that this may have been a subconscious reflection of his Catholic upbringing but it wasn’t done consciously at the time. Due to the high level of contrast in the image, the effect that was created is almost similar to a silhouette art style. The image of Guevara is also being intensely highlighted in the face in order to achieve emphasis which indicates the main focus and will drags the viewers' eye directly to the subject matter. He also gave the image more hair since long hair was then a symbol of rebellion. Graphically, the artist just wanted to do something that's very intense in terms of the color choices and straightforward as well as immediate.

Interpretation

Fitzpatrick's black and red screen-printed poster version (front cover) was produced after Guevara’s death in October 1967. He always thought that  Che Guevara was one of the greatest men who ever lived and when he was murdered, he decided to do something about it, so he created the poster. He also was commissioned by CityJet in 2007 to create images reflecting Ireland's culture, mythology, history, and landscapes. The poster was based on a high-quality photo of Korda’s photo obtained from Amsterdam’s anarchist Provo magazine, which in turn got it from a print presented by Korda himself to Jean-Paul Sartre. While Jim Fitzpatrick regards his poster as a stand-alone graphic for which he holds the copyright, he has never claimed royalties for its use or abuse. He also had discussed with the Cuban authorities with a view to handing over copyright and royalties to the same Cuban children’s hospital that benefited from Korda’s Smirnoff settlement.

Feedback

When I first showed Miss Maria the poster she said this is such an interesting artwork of choice and she suggested me to recreate the artwork but using my own style.

Idea Exploration

Since I am allowed to recreate the art using my own style, I did some idea exploration on the low poly art style and I was inspired by the art style and decided to use the style to recreate The Che poster. Here are some examples I found on the internet.

The Sketch

Feedback

When I ask Miss Maria whether I could proceed with the design or not, she said yes. She also wanted me to add use the quote in the poster so the poster will be more meaningful. Apart from that, there was nothing I had to fix because Miss Maria and I are already quite satisfied with the first sketch.

Progression

Final Outcome

Who is Che Guevara?

I don't know much about this person and I believe there is so much thing to talk about. The only reason I know about Che Guevara is because of the famous poster by Jim Fitzpatrick and I believe almost everyone has seen it. The only general information I know about him is that he was a remarkable military leader. He also was a prominent communist figure in the Cuban Revolution and a guerrilla leader in South America who became a powerful symbol for revolutionary action. The reason why he died was that he was killed by the Bolivian army because they wanted Guevara to be executed. Since his death, Guevara has become a legendary political figure. His name is often considered with rebellion, revolution, and socialism.

 Guevara was so many things - an author, a diplomat, physician, adventurer, and, most of all, a revolutionary. When he was traveling through South America, the sights of poverty and disease he had seen deeply affected him. Che Guevara carried those images with him his entire life and always felt that there was more he could do to help. So to honor this brave fighter’s legacy as well as to wrap up the whole portrait, I decided to add one of the best Che Guevara quotes that says "Many will call me an adventurer, and that I am...only one of a different sort: one who risks his skin to prove his truths" to help spark the inner rebel in the viewers and to continue the value he has contributed to the world through the portrait.

Rationale

Since the original poster was very intense in terms of the color choices, I just wanted to do something that is quite the opposite so it looks more artistic. That is why I chose a low poly art style to recreate this artwork. The overall shapes in the artwork are 2-D and flat. Every element and form in the painting are depicted in a geometric shape. The poster uses compatible color palettes like green and purple. There is also another variety of colors like pink, blue, and orange. I deliberately use the colors purple and green dominantly in the poster is because of the meaning of these colors. For instance, the color purple represents justice and green represents faith which can be associated with Che Guevara's characteristics and contribution to the world. Every color in the poster is used repeatedly in order to create a sense of harmony so the poster would not look too chaotic. The function of colors in the poster is not only to describe the subject matter but to express my feelings about this person because I see Che Guevara as someone who was full of spirit.

Reflection

I have learned so much about the elements of art as well as the principles of design in the module. It definitely helps me to develop a better understanding of what I am learning, especially, whenever I do my own research while doing my tasks. What I enjoyed the most throughout my learning experience is when I get to create my own artwork and explore the elements of art and having to implement them into my designs as well is quite interesting for me. I am not only able to gain knowledge in art but the module also enables me to describe what an artist has done, analyze what is going on in a particular piece, and communicate my thoughts and findings through a common language. Honestly, this is my favorite module by far and I still have not found anything that is uninteresting because I genuinely enjoy learning about art and design. Furthermore, the most obvious thing that I just recognized about myself is how learning design principles really changed the way I perceive art in general wherever  I go and it helps me become more creative and open-minded in life. Next, The lecturer who teaches me the module is really good at interpreting and so far, there is nothing I do not comprehend. However, I really enjoyed studying design principles because learning it is kind of pushing my boundaries and really helps me to become a better artist/ designer.