The MyPOP (My Print On Poverty) Campaign invites the public to share ideas about the barriers, perceptions and consequences of large economic gaps by visually exploring what some of the daunting issues are that separate the poor, the middle class and the wealthy within the US.
Defining the Need
People often need to see a path before they are able to get on a path; MyPOP works to accomplish this task. It represents a path out of poverty by way of visually articulating some of the individual and social challenges faced by the poor and some of the action steps necessary for moving out of the dysfunctional cycles. It works to empower all people, young and old, by encouraging implementation of individual assessments and critical thinking.
Mission
MyPOP, uses art as a purpose driven awareness tool to help encourage civic dialogue and action on the important issues circling poverty.
Goals
Create greater public awareness to some of the challenges faced by the poor with creative visual articulations
Build connections with like-minded organizations to forge strong civic actions and enrich public spaces with empowering visuals
Establish tools and practices that promote critical thinking and self empowerment
Offer socially responsible collections which contribute to organizations committed to improving the lives of others
About the Artist
Passionate and determined, Jessey Jansen strongly believes that the arts are a profession of insight, rigor and practicality which can be used as an agent for social change. She distills her professional and personal experience to offer MyPOP, an artistic collection with a purpose to help the lives of others.
Motivation - from the Artist
After being raised in a household that was challenged with chronic material hardship, I experienced time and time again the constant crisis that frequented our family life.MyPOP is both a reflection and a documentation of the stages and steps that were encountered on my journey of untying my living knot and improving my life. After taking these steps, I’ve made it my mission to help raise awareness to some of the complexities of poverty and to offer MyPOP as a brand that helps encourage positive individual and social change.
Creative Process
MyPOP takes a complex issue and aspires to simplify it by using graphics and visual tools as a vehicle for communication. The deliberate use of color, medium, content and format are implemented to deliver significant messaging.
LOGO
The logo, MyPOP, is indeed an abbreviation of My Print On Poverty, but more importantly it embodies the legacy of my parents (Mom and Pop), both who have deeply influenced my life. The logo incorporates three dominant colors, a world graphic and a partial thumb print, all representing the project goals.
FORMAT
Horizontal format represents the issue from a “social” perspective – exploring definitions, causes, facts, figures, stereotypes
Vertical format represents the issue from an “individual” perspective – exploring individual resources, action plans and self empowerment
Awareness Books
Each installation is concluded with an interactive artist book which invites viewers to leave their thumb print in the recognition of the awareness of poverty.
MEDIUM
The original paintings are coated with a malleable texture of wax, representing changing circumstances and preservation. The use of collage is integrated for the purpose of storytelling and cross cultural symbolism.
IMAGERY
The series is anchored in icon development, to represent everything from material needs to communication patterns to dysfunctional characteristics to cross cultural symbolism. The use of image repetition, graphic placement and text renderings are all used as messaging techniques.
Used in many ancient traditions, art and symbol are potent tools to stir consciousness in a non-linear way. The Mandala – timeless and all embracing symbols of the human experience- have manifested themselves in many ways – concentric structures suggests a passage from state to state, from the material to the spiritual; its center is eternity; its periphery is perfection.
The evolution of the MyPOP has resulted into the creations of 2 Mandala’s that symbolize MyPOP’s goals:
1. The Individual Mandala: Pregnant Lady Wheel – represents building self empowerment by addressing internal barriers and complications
2. The Social Mandala: Public Wheel – represents social change by addressing external issues and complexities
Both mandala’s incorporate rotational symmetry that represent progress and suggest the interplay and passage from emotional to physical states and vice versa, physical to emotional.
These symbols are used as aids for effective visual associations of complex topics.
Symbol Key:
Image Represents
Blue Dot Language Acquisition
Car Transportation
Carrot Food
Child Education/Childcare
Credit Card Financial Security
Flowchart Documentation/Goal Setting
Hands Physical Practice
House Shelter
Phone Communication
Pregnant Lady Healthcare
Switch Utilities
Wheel Progress
KEY MESSAGES
Urgency
Problem Identification
Intervention
New solutions
Perseverance
Empowerment
Style Development
I’ve always been inclined to pick up some paper to draw, sketch, doodle or write…I guess it flows in my blood. But particularly significant are my college years when I was introduced to printmaking. I had the opportunity to play around with a number of printmaking techniques: Collagraphs, Woodcuts, Intaglio, Lithographs, Photo Etchings, Digital Art and Graphic Design.
The unequalled value of printmaking is that at first the artist just slaves over the process, feeling as though it is nothing but prepping and cleaning, but then as results start to surface so does an appreciation for technique, concepts and execution of materials. This process is essential for any individual who demands to better their skills.
Printmaking allowed me to derive an appreciation for my process and the media I choose to implement. By merging my graphic and fine art skills, I’ve been able to develop successful working styles that focus on using art and visuals as communication tools.
