The Breakers

A series of artworks studying how inequality manifested during the Gilded Age.

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Made using Electric Zine Maker and EZM Reader :D

PAGE 1 TEXT:

Before embarking on this work, I composed a sketchbook spread dedicated to researching fashion from the time period, creating composition studies, studying architecture and furniture, and experimenting with different mediums for lineart. I utilized “The Breakers'' virtual tour for background reference as a picturesque Gilded Age-era mansion with beautiful columns and ornate staircases. To further emphasize ornate style and wealth, I constructed patterns consisting of Victorian-era inspired designs to embellish the staircase railing and walls. While experimenting with different compositions, I decided to allude to a world outside of the privileged environment with a beam of yellow light– a door cracked open. I more explicitly show the world in the following pieces of my portfolio. Throughout the creation of the piece, I constantly revised the color scheme and lighting with Color Balance and Color Lookup layers in Photoshop, able to easily experiment in a digital environment. In the background, I carved out detail with a darker chiseled brush, especially when working with columns, in order to add more realism and immersion than lineart would allow. I also dabbled on splatter and halftone brushes for the lighting of the scene, as well as a blur filter, to emphasize immersion and stylization within this universe. In this piece, I hoped to introduce my portfolio by depicting a sheltered upper-class kid's discovery of another world.

BACK COVER TEXT:

My sustained investigation focuses on how inequality manifests during Gilded Age America. In the post-Civil War era of laissez-faire capitalism, child slavery, stiff gender roles and Jim Crow, America was a paradoxical nation of both freedom and imprisonment. As someone whose understanding of history enriched their perspective of modern America and contextualized many long-standing issues, this investigation challenged me to delve deeper emotionally and challenge my own preconceptions on what freedom really means.

In pages 3, 4, 5, and 14, I explore this inequality by creating works that depict class struggles with poor labor conditions, which led me to explore the intersectionality of different political struggles. I further investigated this by exploring the unique identity of wealthy upper class women in pages 11 and 12 and how poverty more negatively affected politically disadvantaged groups in pages 5 and 9.

I contrast ornate Victorian-era patterns on pages 1, 4, and 5 with grimy and noisy industrial textures on pages 3 and 5. By studying Gilded Age mansions and fashion on page 2, I improved detailing on pages 5, 9, 10, and 12, where I use carefree line art and elaborate clothing to depict upper-class lives while workers wear more practical outfits. Experimenting, I melted a wax seal on page 13 and pressed flowers on page 7 and 8 to get into a wealthy mindset.