Nicole DentArtist Statement

I interpreted the song “Kandi” by One eskimO’s using a collage visual

aesthetic. The lyrics are easily interpreted; the story is about a man finding about a

former lover of his current girlfriend. He wonders at the intimacy of their

relationship, and where he was when it was happening. The unanswered questions

push him to neurotic behavior, and he repeatedly asks, “What did he say?” and

“What did he do?” The song is preformed overflowing with infectious desire for

answers matched with an upbeat rhythm, making it my obsession of this past

summer. (It was so overplayed in my house, I found my mother singing it.) I tried to

abandon the idea I had for this project, finding it too cutesy to stomach, but it stuck

in my head and I couldn’t make myself abandon it. I adore collage aesthetics, and

saw an earnest, naïve penguin. He repeatedly falls into relationships where he is

outdone by the girl’s past/current boyfriend. The penguin attempts to woo the girl

by chasing after her, getting a job, and changing his look. Poor little guy can never

win, though, and has to watch as the girl(s) he wants frolics with someone else.

The design process began with sketching out the five relationships on paper,

planning what kind of pieces I would make, where they would be placed, and what

angle I would shoot from. Then I used cardboard, magazines, tissue paper, tinsel,

tin-foil, crepe paper, and construction paper to make the pieces the would compose

the characters and settings. In the process of setting up proper lighting and

establishing frustratingly perfect balance at my sister’s house, my fourteen-year-old

cat escaped through the window. I utilized a low lamp to create a heavy shadow on

my characters. In Photoshop, I cropped two of the photos to strengthen the rule of

thirds, and adjusted the brightness and contrast of the photos. I also added a slight

glow to the couples to make them that more happy in comparison to the struggling

penguin. I enjoyed this project a lot. If I could do anything differently, I would give

the pictures a better sense of setting by adding more background elements and

pieces. Also, I would take more time cleaning up the edges on the pieces I already

have. Thanks for the opportunity!

P.S.- The cat is safely back in the house.

Lyrics

One eskimO- Kandi(M=Male F=Female)

M: But I heard from Jo about this guy And I want to know What did he say? F: He called me baby, baby all night long M: What did he do? F: He called me baby, baby all night long M: Why? Why? Why, did you need him? Where was I? Just how close to you is he? Every smile you gave Every touch you made Every word you said

Collage Aesthetic Example: