Selena Williams
Degree: Digital Media and Design
Materials: Photoshop and Illustrator

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In these pieces of artwork, I worked primarily with Photoshop, but also Illustrator to utilize and manipulate the photographs to create a collage that further pushes a narrative. The medium of the work being digital allows there to be a deeper exploration into symbolism and some historical connection. In these works, the underlying inspiration was from rap songs that are socially and politically charged, relating back to conscious hip hop of the 80’s to point out certain messages and themes within America’s value system, but to also challenge them. The song that served as the base of inspiration are, Temptation by Joey Badass and Hands Up by Vince Staples. Both songs are from the last ten years and detail two different, thought processes in this new generation of African Americans becoming adults. In Temptation, Joey talks about how because African-Americans are treated differently in society, this causes internal battles within oneself and can lead to mental health problems, and problems with drugs and alcohol. In Hands Up, Vince Staples is being aggressive in his assertion of how African-Americans are often set-up and manipulated by the criminal justice system. These are things that can lead people into a life in and out of prison, a life of extreme violence and how this is often perpetuated by the police. Both songs form the basis for the atmosphere that connects the subjects in the collages.