‘Sacred’, is the final design outcome for my Communication Design degree. My work delves into the issue of species decline among New Zealand’s native birds. I have come to appreciate the importance of an ecosystem and felt as though this project was the perfect platform for me to voice my concerns and inspire others to foster a more ecologically aware mindset. The final outcome of my project is built around the idea of reflection both in a literal and a conceptual sense.
The written part of my final output was an exegesis report in which I delved deep into themes of ecocentrism and anthropocentrism. I researched how art and design can be used as a medium to communicate and advocate for social and environmental issues. The exegesis involves all of my findings, ideation and development over the course of the project.
In order to communicate the concept of deterioration, I used a method called ‘mirror distressing’ which involves removing the back-coating of the mirror using paint stripper and bleach. The amount of distress on each mirror relates to the decay of the birdlife featured in the paintings. The diversity, vibrancy and rich colours of the birds in the paintings create a striking contrast against the dull, decayed mirrors. I also wanted my work to be thought-provoking and allow the viewer to connect and engage with the paintings. By looking into the mirrors, the viewers see themselves within the painting – which encourages them to think about how they see themselves in relation to the natural world around them. In the first mirror, the viewers reflection is the clearest and in the final, most distressed mirror their reflection is far more obscured. The third and final mirror demonstrates that the extinction of the birds has caused a disconnect between humanity and nature.
