Using the comparisons of bird and human migration, this publication allows readers to learn simultaneously about the treatment of human and bird migrants in Malta. Both are treated harshly and unfairly and more awareness is needed of these social and environmental issues. This is not to say these two issues are the same, but to make a metaphorical connection between birds being a symbol for freedom and how that is taken away from the birds and refugees who enter Malta.
Read Me...
Posters
I made posters from the imagery that I had created for the publication. These could be used in a future campaign or resources for workshop.
Design Features
I wanted to create a publication of two sides, one representing the birds and the other, the people. I choose to do this by having the left page always be about birds and the right always about people, and also choose a specific colour pallette for each side, blue and orange.
Blue
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Sky
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Ocean
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Calm
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Freedom
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Sadness
Orange
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Warmth
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Change
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Life Jackets
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Determination
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Warning
Image treatment
PNG
I have used a lot of PNG images and white space in this publication. I feel like this floating, eccentric style throughout the publication gave it a dream-like, melancholic atmosphere. I used fantasy realms as inspiration and used a mixture of photographs and illustrations to further this dream like vision as I think it echoes the hopes of freedom and new places of the birds and refugees.
It also links to liminal space which I have took stylistic references from. To be in a liminal space means to be on the precipice of something new but not quite there yet. You can be in a liminal space physically, emotionally, or metaphorically. I thought this related strongly to the topics of migration, identity and travel
Collage
Halftone
Collaging has been a big feature of my work in response to Malta. The layering, busy look reflects the overdeveloped building style. I have continued to use this technique as it allows me to create my own narrative with the found imagery. Picture grouping allowed me to pair matching or contrasting images ready to make collages, resulting in surreal imagery.
I have been using different effects such as half tone, colour overlays and black and white filters to make a sensitive picture obscured. The imagery I have been working with is very emotional, I did not want to include too many distressing images, however at the same time, i still think it's an issue that needs to be to highlighted by genuinely showing the horrible situation. Also due to working with found imagery editing my pictures allowed me to have authorship over them - turning them into my designs and having the same style run throughout my publication.
Creative Process
Image Grouping
Grouping images around the topic of birds and human migration of similar, or even contrasting, visuals and meanings.
Layout Planning
Printing development pieces off and posting them up on the wall to fully assess the publication as a whole piece and to check design ideas and features.
