Artist Statement
The theme I wanted to portray through this project was the joy in walking. Different sceneries can be seen everyday just by looking around more and appreciating what our natural surroundings provide us. The goal wasn’t really to tell people to get off their phones, but I used phones as an example of what might distract us from enjoying our surroundings, and by putting away the phone, we can see more clearly what's around us. Originally, the way I wanted to present this idea was different from what the final piece consists of. Initially, the four seasons were going to be used, and there was a different illustration of the phone. However, it turned out that these portrayals inhibited the point from getting across; therefore, I changed them to focus on one setting and made the phone more distinguishable. I believe this was successful in communicating the story, and the details emphasizing the shift from being distracted to admiring the surroundings were visible. Another way to support the theme was by structuring the physical zine as an accordion—being able to open like a book and also as an accordion—so when opened as full, the full path walked by the character is fully visible. This increases the impact and purpose of the details, letting the contrast enhance. Throughout the construction of this zine, I learned methods of making zines, different from the mostly known, original format, and also learned to use Photoshop and Illustrator more effectively. However, next time, I will be extra mindful of the measurements for printing, since it is easier to fix problems before much of the art is already made. Overall, this process of making a zine about the joy of walking helped motivate me to appreciate my daily surroundings more, and also encouraged me to think and communicate visually.
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