My design mainly utilizes theories and methods from Japanese woodblock prints. The Japanese concept of “Ma” is heavily considered in these artworks. Ma is described as a necessary emptiness of time and space; like the pauses between words. The words would be unintelligible if not for breaths between.
More specifically, the work by Shin Hanga was a large inspiration for the design. Shin Hanga’s work portrays the body as an empty space. The body is devoid of color, with no shading and only necessary contour lines. What is left is what is necessary to make the body identifiable. Also, with the empty body being devoid of ink, the paper background is what it consists of. In general, paper is an important part of Japanese aesthetics. The roots of paper go deep. Starting in the 16th century, Japan advanced early in papermaking. Because papermaking was a respected traditional craft, paper became not just a tool that allows for an image to be displayed but a part of the image itself. This use of negative space and paper is shown in my final design. It is implemented in the main figure and also the text.
The scene depicted in the design is a reference to the song “The Birds Outside Sang” by Florist. In particular, it is a reference to the last couple minutes of the song where the vocalist repeats, “Do you and your friends wanna come into the field and watch the fireworks shoot up into the air? Does the night sky terrify you and does the day sky mesmerize you and make you dream things better than the day?” An eerie hum accompanies this in the background. This moment in the song feels like a time of important reflection and so that is what the image aims to show. Along with depicting a moment of reflection for the figure in the piece, the design aims to get the viewer to reflect as well by utilizing emptiness. The white space of the moon and figure are intended to be an empty vessel from which creativity and thoughts can emerge.
