Part I Text and Image: Barbara Kruger-Esque Design
The main signifiers in this image are Lincoln, fire, and words, each working to give the signified meaning of the image, arguing the destruction of American values caused by a lack of cohesion in political action against climate change.
I chose to create this image because I was initially intrigued by this famous picture of Lincoln. It is known as the “photograph that made Lincoln president” and is largely associated with the famous Cooper Union speech he gave later in the day. What most people recognize from the photo is Lincoln's unique facial expression. I choose to use this expression and alter the image's meaning by changing the surrounding context. The use of fire, which is such a powerful emotional sign for us, along with the text’s written message, transforms this important historical photo into one that comments on our current politics while retaining Kruger's aesthetic and political nature.
Using a national emblem like Lincoln and altering his most famous line with a bit of wordplay, helps convey the argument that we are not just figuratively, but are literally, burring up what this icon stood for in being divided over this issue. As a first stab at photoshop, I was excited to take what I had learned into my next piece, a rendition of the Dadaist's work.