About the Campaign
(Artist's Statement)
The purpose of this body of work is to create advertising that helps those struggling with depression. Often people are not aware that they are experiencing depression and so the advertising will share statistics, symptoms, quotes, and visuals that relate to those with depression. My campaign, Fully Alive, is a fictional campaign that could be used by a non-profit organization in the future.
My inspiration has come predominantly from the grunge typography movement of the 1990’s. This style is represented in my work in the layouts, layering of text, and layered imagery. David Carson is known as the father of grunge typography and my work is heavily inspired by him in both aesthetic and concept. Carson created work to evoke emotion upon first seeing it. Once the viewer is attracted to it, they can derive meaning from it. The movement was intended to go against conventional design. It was less about form and more about conceptual value. The philosophy of this type of graphic design works well with my goal to attract my target audience by evoking mental processes.
Through the combination of layered text and imagery, I am creating work that viewers who deal with depression can relate to. By conveying the mental processes of the condition in the viewer, I can attract those who are dealing with depression. Each poster represents an aspect of the illness, such as loneliness, fatigue, confusion, and emptiness. The images are designed to relate to those experiencing the effects associated with depression. The statements in the top portion of the posters are broken up and layered on top of each to convey the variety of circumstances that can lead to depression. The juxtaposition of images creates an idea of an aspect of depression, and the text helps to clarify. I am creating a dialogue by combining an image of a figure and another image that corresponds with the intent of the poster. Through merging these materials I am creating advertising that would attract my target audience to get the help they need.
The type of camera I am using serves as an effective tool to produce images that have blurring, distortion, and unexpected imperfections. These effects speak loudly of the conscious and subconscious. The nature of the imagery lends itself to creating images that are moody and convey how depression feels. Using this aesthetic for the imagery conveys ideas relating to mental processes of the illness.
Through creating advertising that will draw people suffering with depression, I can draw people to a place of healing. Through combining images and text, I am creating work that people with the condition are drawn to as they are dealing with symptoms of depression displayed in the work. Once they are attracted by the posters, they will be lead to further information on how to get help.