Study Task 2

(Maria Chimishkyan)

This GIF illustration was created to communicate the 'Future of Fertility', by illustrator & designer, Maria Chimishkyan. The seedling has connotations of life, birth & growth, relating to the theme of the animation. The background is made up of a computer keyboard from which the seedling seems to grow from a puddle of water. This seems contradictory because if you where to have water like that on a keyboard in real life, your keyboard would most likely be broken... However, in this instance it seems that the keyboard is positively aiding the growth of this plant. This leads me to question whether the article associated with this image would be based around the discussion of the benefits of technology on fertility. 

(Sebastien Plassard)

This editorial piece by Sebastien Plassard seems to be connoting a discussion on wine and potentially on it's effects/safety. I would initially assume, seeing this image alone, that the idea being addressed is related to wine consumption and cutting down intake. The article that it is actually illustrated for holds the title, 'Ignore the Snobs, Drink the Cheap, Delicious Wine'. It discusses the improvement in wine quality thanks to technological advancements that have opened the industry up to a greater amount of people, thus allowing for cheaper, better quality alternatives to high end (and high price) vino. The use of laboratory-style flasks in the back ground implies those themes of technology. I think that this design is slightly vague in terms of its communication, but it is an aesthetically pleasing piece.

(Christoph Niemann)

I couldn't find the article associated with this New Yorker cover so there'll be no way to score my assumptions about the signification of this piece. Initially I feel warmth from the colour palette used, deep yellow, orange and blue give off intense summer vibes. This is further perpetuated through the placement of the character by a swimming pool. It then becomes clear that the woman in the image has dropped her phone in the water, perhaps suggesting sky-high water damage claims in the summer of 2010..? The more realistic understanding of this image is probably that Niemann was aiming to communicate something in regards to the relationship that we have with our phones and technology in general. Through the placement of her hand and seemingly relaxed expression of her face and body, I would assume that the related article may be about having a break from phones?