In the autumn of 2016, Carthage College held an art competition called "Here I Stand." The idea was to submit a piece of art that represents something the artist personally takes a stand on. I created this poster as a representation of my belief in how people's various, and often differing, identities can push them towards the common goal of bringing peace to their communities and the world. The poster received third prize in the visual arts category. For more information on how I created this poster, scroll down to the "About the Process" section on this page.
Poster Campaign
I decided to imagine what this message might look like if these images were placed out in public. I am a strong advocate and supporter of people from different backgrounds coming together for a common goal. I realized these images of vastly different individuals plastered out in public would help promote this idea of working together and might inspire the viewers to learn something about someone who is different from themselves.
About the Process
I drew inspiration for these images from Shepard Fairey's Obama Hope Poster made popular during the 2008 Presidential Campaign. I admired the minimalistic elements of Fairey's poster, along with the stark contrast of colors. I wanted to incorporate the concept of conflicting elements within my project to represent the vastly different identities of my subjects.
In order to get images of different individuals, I reached out to fellow classmates and asked them if I could take their photo, and then I asked them what about their identity drives them toward wanting peace in the world. After reaching out to my classmates, I posted on social media for help, asking the same questions. While I didn't use all of the images I received, I focused on using the most diverse identities in order to articulate my point. Below is a slideshow depicting the editing process each of my subjects' photos went through.