The Meaning of "Slay"
Risk-Taking
Miami University
Personal Work
I created this piece during an ART 252 (Image) class session while experimenting with the typography feature in Photoshop. I found myself typing the word “slay” over and over again, and as I typed it I began to wonder how the meaning of the word has evolved over time. Now, it’s used as a way of expressing approval but in past centuries, it could have been used as a battle cry or some way to describe a murder via sword. I thought that it would be visually interesting to combine these two definitions together in a unique way. I did some image searching on the Pexels and Unsplash websites and found a guy sparring in a pair of virtual reality goggles. I really liked this imagery because it brings into question whether or not he is truly “slaying.” It forces the viewer to determine if virtual reality is a form of true reality or if it’s simply a fake environment. I ultimately chose this piece for the “risk-taking” category of my portfolio because I am attempting to make the point that technology is slowly taking over every one of our actions, even the guy’s attempt at slaying his airy opponent in the piece. And because not everyone might agree with that point, this composition is ultimately taking a risk by questioning a specific aspect of our society.
Title: Still Slaying
8 x 11", Adobe Photoshop
Image Credit: Rachel Drone.
