Diary of a drug addict / graduation project
The scope of my graduation project has changed over the months, but the main theme of “diseases” of modern society, including problems related to drug addiction and psychoactive substances, has remained unchanged. There are many factors that have influenced my interest in this topic. Initially, it was music – an album by the band Porcupine Tree (Fear of a Blank Planet) which I was originally supposed to illustrate, as well as my own experiences related to observing my environment and community.
Ultimately, it was the reading of “Diary of a drug addict” (“Pamiętnik narkomanki” by B. Rosiek), which is a story about drug addiction and the influence of the environment on shaping the personality of a young person, a tale of searching for identity. It is the notes of a girl, later a woman, in which fifteen years of a constantly renewed struggle with addiction are captured. I decided to create illustrations for this particular text because it turned out to be a bit more universal (due to the literalness of its message) and hence more suitable for a graduation project. I believed that it could have a more significant impact on the reader and convey more visible moralizing content.
Not only visual narrative
The first stage of the work was the selection of quotes. The selection of individual sentences was primarily determined by my desire to depict, in the most complete and profound way possible, the path that an addicted person has to walk. I wanted to picture the different phases that drug addicts must go through, and to portray the sensitivie internal conflicts they face. I tried to capture the complexities of human experience and attempt to understand the emotions that may accompany drug addiction at different stages.
Two sides of addiction
While designing the first page, I focused primarily on the changing emotional states of the author. I left the second page almost empty, except for a single white line. It represents the selection of significant events from the author’s diary, along with dates. In these pages, I attempted to depict the imperceptibility of certain changes and processes to the closest environment. The author’s life seems ordinary to those around her, from being an exemplary student to becoming a psychology student. However, addicted individuals put on masks, while inside them, a constant and great struggle takes place. A struggle for life.
Crafting chaos / artistic fusion
I created illustrations using a variety of mediums (photography, drawing, painting, graphic programs) – then put them together, creating collage. Through this technique, I intentionally wanted to introduce chaos into the work to create a narrative, and stylize the book as a journal/diary. The illustrations were created chronologically, starting from the first page. I created them in a traditional way, on paper, and gradually expanded each scene, ending up with 30 illustrations at a 1:1 scale. Later, I have created photocopies of the artwork and put everything together in Photoshop.
I opted for the leporello form (the book has only one page which is concertina-folded, as above, but also has front and back boards so that it can be handled like a normal book). It allowed me to dynamically present content in a visually pleasing manner. Secondly, it allows me to spread the content across multiple panels, so my illustrations can form interesting compositions that engage the reader along with the text. Finally, this format is simply original, captures attention.
My reflection
Working on the illustrations for the book was a unique challenge for me due to the need to maintain a balance between the visual elements and the narrative of the text. I tried to allow the reader to freely engage with the narrative, without overwhelming them with an excess of text or visual storytelling. Ethical and social considerations were also important to me in my work. Illustrating a book on addiction provided an opportunity for me to shed some light on an issue that many people struggle with. I attempted to reflect the aspect of human experience that addiction represents.
The process of reading and working on this project also increased my own awareness of the impact of addiction on individuals and society as a whole. I am particularly pleased with the technical aspect of my work. Assembling a 4-and-a-half-meter leporello and creating a hardcover independently posed a significant challenge. Moreover, working on this project allowed me to explore new graphic techniques that I hadn’t previously encountered, such as monotype and drypoint.
The final form
This project, as well as plenty of my other artworks, can be found on my instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/wkuczewska/?hl=pl
For more similar projects check: https://www.wiktoriakuczewska.pl/illustration/
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