Kiana Blakemore
BA, Visual Communication
Statement
My project is focused on the visual language of music. I aimed to explore a visual language of music that was not centered on just my experience, but that could be applicable to more people. I was interested in what types of images and feelings were evoked in people as they were listening to music. I was also interested in exploring how the same song could have various meanings and themes for people. I conducted research on the visual language of music by gaining information about how people visualize Erik Satie’s “Gymnopédie 1.” I chose this particular song because I wanted to use a song without any lyrics so that people would be focused on the actual music instead of the lyrics and artists of the song.
In order to explore a visual language, I collected and interpreted data from 20 people based on their visual perceptions of this song and translated it digitally into different pieces. I collected data by providing people with pencils, paper, and colored pencils, and asking them to draw and write what they were visualizing as they were listening to the song. I then used this information to create 20 different abstract pieces and group the finished pieces thematically. I intended to not only represent each person’s visuals, but I also wanted the viewers to feel as though they could hear the song by looking at the pieces.
Bio
Kiana Blakemore is a 22-year-old graphic designer born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. In addition to being a student, she is employed as a graphic design intern at Dim Events LLC. Kiana assists other graphic design interns and creative directors in the creation of innovative design work for clients. She has had the opportunity to create logos, social media kits, Instagram highlight graphics, and Instagram posts for clients. Kiana creates visualizations with the intention of producing powerful, captivating designs. She has a passion of creating new things that appeals to a large audience. Her designs are influenced by her interests in nature and landscapes, architecture, art movements, music, photography, and her environment. She incorporates aspects from these items to create visually pleasing graphics that both expresses her imagination and invokes a profound reaction from viewers. Kiana takes a detail oriented approach when creating her designs. She aims to incorporate realistic qualities in most of her designs, but also explores abstract elements in some of her artwork. She also attempts to explore varying color schemes, typography treatments, layouts, and illustrations in order to design effective visual communication. She has executed her techniques to applications such as posters, billboards, mailers, brochures, typefaces, logos, mugs, and beer labels. After graduation, Kiana is interested in using her learned techniques to obtain a career in package design.