Final assignment - Social Media Issue

Name: Tan Swee Wen
Student ID: B1100002

From the information I got from the Internet, social medias have created a lot of problems to the society. Regardless of the benefits of social media, the issues being caused are much more severe.

As the biggest distraction in our lives, we may be too addicted and spend too much time using social media channels. Employees may waste valuable time online, hence causing low productivity. Worse, they may use social media to attack the company’s reputation. Besides, students use social media channels anytime, at anywhere. They even think that "If you are not online, you don't have a life, you don't really exist".

Nowadays, incidents of profiles and accounts being hacked into are commonplace. Hackers tend to extract sensitive information, like passwords and other details of targeted individual from social networking sites and use them to create an alternate identity, and worse, conducting crimes.

Moreover, when you are online, it's like there are hundreds and thousands of online audience watching at you. When you post a status or "check-in" on these online sites, everyone knows. There are cases which kidnappers were very well aware of their victims surroundings and situations, hence successfully kidnapped these people by observing their statuses and "check-ins".

While people like to put pictures and videos up on social media channels, these pictures and videos could be used for defamation. Reported cases include girls’ photos being photo-shopped and used in objectionable places. Also instances where people use social networking sites to abuse or defame anonymously are constantly reported. A Telegraph report outlines a case where cyber bullying was being used by students to intimidate teachers and staff.

After these research, I got the concept that social media may be very attractive yet dangerous. Once you're addicted, it is impossible for you to stop. Which given me the idea to come out with these art pieces, hopefully with a ghastly feel.

Sketches:

Digital Painting Process:

After scanning my final sketch, I started painting using brush tools and smudge tool.

I used the type tool to type in the word "Enter" on the keyboard key.

Before this, I have worked on several types of eyes to put them onto the social devices as well as the background. I drew out the outline of the eyes using pen tool. After that, I draw out the eyeballs by using brush tools. Then I finished up the details with different colours and finally, I changed the opacity of the eyeballs to make it look more realistic.

I cut and copied those eyes out by using lasso tool and pasted them to my main working artwork.  

I cut and pasted the clown's face out to another document window.

I took this photo of a tree near Help Wisma.

Then back in the clown document window, I dragged the tree's photo in. I put the tree's photo in front of the clown's face, changed the opacity of that particular layer, adjusted the levels, changed the blending mode, enhanced the cracking and peeling feeling by using burn tool and erased the unwanted part by using eraser tool. 

Then I dragged the completed clown face back to the main document window.

Basically, I get to know about this photoshop technique from a youtube video: cracked face

After that, I edited the background by using elliptical marquee tool and different clouds filter with colours.

Finally, my FINAL ARTWORK!

Artist Statement:

I wanted to present the dark side of social media. Unlike usual humorous and joyful clown, half of the clown's face is cracking and peeling. This signifies the treacherous and dangerous incidents such as cyberbullying and online cheating that are hidden under the attractive, joyful surface of social media. Besides, the colour of the clown's clothes signifies facebook, representing social media channels. The "enter" key in the clown's hand signifies the idea "once you get involved in social media activities, you can never leave, bad consequences are waiting for you". Numerous eyes at the background signifies hundreds and thousands of online audiences and stalkers who are watching at you.

Field trip to Central Market

Our class went to the Central Market to have a field trip on the 22th of March 2013. Before reaching the Central Market, you can clearly see the special art graffitis along the riverside.

These art graffitis were being created by using only color sprays! 

As it was quite early when I reached the Central Market, I went loitering around before meeting up with the class in the main entrance of the Central Market. 

 This big Wau connecting to the roof of the outdoor Heritage Walk was just beside the main entrance of the Central Market. This big Wau was so unique and carving on it was so meticulous that it actually captured my eyes.

Taadaahhh! The main entrance of Central Market. The Central Market was actually being built in 1888 by the British who were ruling Malaya at that time and it was used as wet market for Kuala Lumpur's citizens and tin miners. However, during the years, things changed. In 1985, the market was renovated into vibrant and colourful new style and on April 1986, it was officially known as Pasar Budaya until now.

From the main entrance of Central Market, we walk all the way to the back part of Central Market where there are a few painting workshops and studios. On our way to the back part of Central Market, there are a lot of antique shops selling various kinds of items.     

                                         

Look up at these antique shops, they all looked like the shop in the photos above.

Walk to the back part of Central Market, out of my expectation, it's just a little section which we can finish looking at it in one glance. 

This young lady was in the back part of the Central Market, doing sand painting and selling it. Obviously, she's a foreigner and came to Malaysia and start doing arts here. According to her, every sand painting needs at least 10-15 minutes to be completed. However, some even more complicated sand paintings need nearly 1 hour to be completed.

Another type of panting - The batik paintings.

They even made those batik paintings into greeting cards.

The artists spend most of their time creating arts. An artists was spotted having his meal in his shop. This shows how many hard works and efforts they put into their artwork creations. 

Below are other oil paintings in other painting workshops and studios.

Above is the place where one of the artists works. It was only a small area in his workshop.

When we walked past this artist's workshop, he was actually drawing some architectural drawings. He told us that he has already been an artist for 30 years time. Besides, he also told us that architecture will be the next big trend.

The artist who was proudly showing us his first architectural drawing.

After that, we went back to the middle part of the Central Market. In order to explore some other interesting  images, we went to the second floor of the middle part.  

The interesting and outstanding symbols of gentlemen and ladies outside of the washrooms.

The antique mirror which was hung on the wall in one of the shops.

There were a lot of shops which basically sell some antique and traditional staffs at the second floor. The photo above is one of these shops, selling Waus and other traditional items. 

They even have this lamp, which I am not sure if it is a miner's lamp, hanging outside their shops. 

Before this field trip, I have never been to the Central Market. It was actually a quite amazing to know that there is such a place in Malaysia where artists enjoy drawing their paintings and selling them there. However, it seemed that their incomes was not ample enough. It is kind of sad to know that Malaysian, as a matter of fact, do not appreciate these artistic drawings much.