關於作品中的象徵與符號

我在巴賽進修插畫的那一年,畫了不少童書風格的作品,人物不乏是眼大頭大的Q版兒童,感覺很自然地畫了白淨的「皮膚色」,以及棕色的頭髮。
有一天,我的室友兼好友,來自摩洛哥的安納斯走過來說:「你為啥不畫亞洲人的樣子呢?」
我第一時間其實不知怎麼回答,也不沒明白他想表達的是什麼。後來我繼續想了想,其實這個問題,點開了我這有意識或無意識,對於「何為人」理所當然的狹窄盲點。
我開始留意到關於作品中的身份認同的問題。我在下筆人物的時候,會把人物所代表的政治意涵給釐清,我是以哪一種文化邏輯出發,這樣的語言會不會冒犯到其他不同文化/族群的人?或者這樣的安排是否有其他的訊息要表達?當然也會考慮更寬廣的膚色光譜和髮色與髮型。
於是在拿到這件作品的題目” Poner los cuerno a alguien” 給某人戴角=中文裡的給人戴綠帽,我的發想路徑如下:
如何在一張圖內表達出劈腿這件事?
三個人物:情侶+小三
那誰要當小三?男的女的?
讓男的女或女的出軌好像都對另一性不公平?
何不讓雙方都出軌呢?
四個人畫面太擠,構圖太複雜
等等,為何一定是一男一女呢?
何不把性別抽掉,只用人物象徵符號?
於是最後用了一對相擁的抽象人體形狀,在選色上避開帶有性別暗示的顏色,再加上面對「關係外的關係」我本來就抱持中性的看法,也認為政治上也應當如此,所以在畫面的情緒表達,也用了客觀冷靜的方式處理。
結果就是這一張視覺上或思想上我都非常滿意的圖,自認可愛成熟又性感,你/妳覺得呢😘?
This is an illustration based on a Spanish saying ” Poner los cuerno a guien”, meaning to cheat on someone.
I started to concern about the symbols in works after once, my dear friend Anass asked me, ‘’ why are these figures in your work don’t look asian?’’ At first I didn’t know how to respond, and didn’t realised what was the real meaning behind the question. Yet ,ever since, I was more aware of the topic of Identity, and try to be considerate about the underlying language what a figure might present, and if it’s going to offend someone in another culture content or a different group/ community.
So here’s how the mind mapping of this work went:
-How do I illustrate ‘’cheating’’ in a single picture?
-3 figures: a couple and a lover?
-Who should be the cheating one? Man or Woman?
-It doesn’t seem fair to make such a decision on on gender..
-How about letting them both cheat?
-… That would be too crowded and complicated.
-Wait! Who said that It must be a man and a woman?
-How about to extract the gender, just using simplified symbols?
So it ended up like this, avoiding the coolers that might imply genders, and judgemental perspective of viewing the action…
I found it sexy and cool, how do you think😉?
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