Juxtaposition found in Print Media
In this experiment, I find elements to juxtapose via photo collage within printed magazines. I have never made a photo collage, and if I were to I would probably do so in Photoshop. But, in keeping with the theme of serendipity, I decided to browse through magazines I could find in my Airbnb. What I end up with is a selection of Marie Claire Australia’s August 2019 issue, and (Central) Coast Magazine’s Spring 2019 issue. I looked through both without many preconceptions, clipping images that stuck out to me or toward which I had an instant gut reaction. I spread out all the clippings over the coffee table to view at once and began pairing things that would juxtapose either visually and/or figuratively and whose pairing would render a deeper meaning.
Manmade/Domestic Beauty vs. Earthly Beauty
This first collage finds manmade items or domesticated pets we consider beautiful or lead to our notion of beauty, encroaching upon what I consider one of the most beautiful animals the earth has to offer, the coral polyp, as well as a whale peeking out from behind the SUV. Less-obviously included is anti-aging lotion and a surgery light referencing body modification, This collage and its depiction of encroachment on the coral is symbolic of man’s materialism and capitalist-peddled consumerism resulting in climate change and the bleaching of coral. Juxtaposition is found in both the appearance of these items to that of the coral, but more importantly in the irony that we require the manufacturing of them and our own bodies to fit our notion of a beautiful lifestyle and beautiful body when we are blessed with an earth full of a beautiful life.
Natural vs. Unnatural Skin and Beauty
In these two collages, explored is the juxtaposition between natural and unnatural skin. As I flipped through the magazines, I noticed almost every portrait is airbrushed extensively to the point of “perfection”. This is done to propagate beauty standards and sell skincare products, ads for which appear on almost every other page behind these “flawless” photos supposedly depicting real skin. I find juxtaposition and irony in our search for the clearest possible skin, that media establishes such intense beauty standards that our skin must be unnaturally smooth to be beautiful; while in contrast, animals get one skin and can’t do a thing about it and we find that beautiful, as is, and they probably do, too. Particularly scaly animals’ heads are trimmed to fit the faces of these models, which were also airbrushed to an unnatural state. Visually, there is striking juxtaposition beyond the figurative meaning.
Framed vs. Unframed
In these next two collages, visual juxtaposition is foremost achieved with this iPhone framing a beautiful landscape being enjoyed by someone. There is basic figurative juxtaposition, that so much is lost when viewing through the frame of a screen compared to an in-person experience. But digging deeper I wanted these pieces to comment on my generation’s relationship with social media: that going somewhere or doing something feels like it doesn’t count, for many to themselves, if you don’t post it on Instagram or at least upload a quick story. This can prevent us from living in the moment, and sometimes it feels like people do things partly for the dopamine rush of posting it, rather than for the enjoyment of the activity alone. The second collage is more specifically framed to imitate a photo with which someone would set out on this hike with it in their mind, just to take it and post it. Adding another layer of meaning, even if the poster genuinely feels it is a cool, spur-of-the-moment photo they just want to share with friends and followers, my generation spends so much of our time scrolling through other peoples lives in this ‘frame’ rather than getting outside and living our own to its fullest capacity for ‘unframed’ experiences.
Contradiction of American Lifestyle
In this final collage, I highlight the greatest juxtaposition and irony in the American lifestyle and work culture. We are pushed to be as productive as possible for as much of the day and week as possible. We are overloaded with work, and slam coffee after coffee so that our brains can keep up. We worship the coffee. We get stressed out from this culture that is normalized and pushed upon us by capitalism, which then turns around and sells us ways to “relax” or cope with the stress in the little free time we have. This ad for the McDonald’s coffee and the article promoting group meditation were found not two pages apart, the McCafe fittingly ad appearing first and followed by the de-stressing methods. I created an almost prayer-like circle around the coffee to highlight the worship of the coffee and juxtapose it with the ironic need to find tranquility after we crash.