DVB202 | He Loves Me Not
Valentine's Day is a holiday that is celebrated through love. The day is historically celebrated after a priest, Valentine, who was martyred circa 270 CE (Brittanica, n.a.). Many accounts have discrepancies on the holiday's true origin, though the underlying theme of the day is love. In the twenty-first century, the commercialized Valentine's Day depicts couples spending lavishly on their significant other and loved ones, in hopes to portray the love they have for each other. Ballie (2021) elaborates and adds, "...exchanging gifts strengthens the connection between people on a deeper level." With this purpose in mind, the opportunity for over-consumerism is plentiful with deals promoting "love" in every store. One may feel the sting of loneliness if and when they are not showered with extravagant gifts.
The protagonist of the story is a young woman, waiting at last for her long, last love to arrive. She is ready; wearing her favourite dress, her make-up done, and her hair in a romantic bun. All in anticipation to see her significant other. As she waits, a bouquet of red roses arrives. She thinks to herself, "He Loves Me," and basks in the affection she gains from them. She may even love him all the more because of it. Time passes and she waits. And waits. And waits. He never makes it home.
On the other side of the story, she is continually showered with "love" and "praise" in the form of red roses and balloons. Continually, the amounts grow. Though this is true, there is no sign of her significant other anywhere. She cries, overwhelmed by the love she is receiving - or the lack thereof. Amongst all the tears and bountiful gifts, she thinks to herself, "He Loves Me Not."
To bring the poster to life the Augmented Reality application, Eyejack, was employed. This creates depth within the poster to express the other side, and comment more concerns about overconsumption and environmental issues in a non-traditional way.
This commentary and augmented reality artwork was created for Queensland University of Technology's Design class, DVB202, Visual Design for Storytelling by Laurissa Pona-Baker, N10601511.
