Project 10 Symbols, reality and me

This section is ripe for a discussion of semiotics. However before I get into that area I want to share the process I used when transforming an  image of me (below left) into a symbol.  Below is the visual story of the process by which I created my very personal symbol (including many dead ends).

So I began with a photo of me flat and side on and tried different ways of reducing it to a a pure shape.

This involved using blocks of colour and shapes as well as removing or adding things.

I also experimented with various colour combinations.

This general shape (below) seemed to work for me.

But it was only after some more experimentation that I arrived at an end point.

 

Little things made big differences to the symbol. For example when I placed the bottom of the gap between my arm and body at the same level as my lap the symbol didn’t work – it was too uniform and static: and if I made the wheels any thicker it didn’t work as it looked unbalanced. There were lots of things like that.

Thoughts
At a personal level I don’t like the symbol I created as it is not as dynamic as the new semi-official symbol. But this symbol reflects my reality – head down arms back – pushing is hard work and it shows this better than the official and newer unofficial symbols!

But my symbol does raise a question: Is this image a truer reflection of my reality than the standard symbol? Should the symbol be aspirational?

Thoughts welcome.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am really pleased with the outcome.

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