Colorful Light Burst Effect

Google image

Self-generated pink-blue color light burst effects

End results!

Today's work is based on Steve Patterson's Photoshop tutorial. 

What's Your Favorite Color?

Come to think of it now, I noticed that I liked many colors during different period of my life thus far. When I was younger, I used to like pink and all my belongings, if possible, will be in pink color. I may have liked pink because it is the color that is prescribed to every girl. "Mommy says pink is for girl, I am a girl, that is why I will use and like pink." I guess that was the influence. After entering high school, my preference for colors switch from pink to earth colors like white, grey, brown, black and certain shades of green. To me, these colors represent maturity and seriousness and are sophisticated and elegant colors.

Now, if I am asked of my favorite color, my answer would be all colors. To me,

Black is elegant

White is pure

Blue is peaceful

Green is refreshing

Red is sexy

Yellow is energizing

Orange is splendid

Purple is stylish

Pink is girlie

Gold is glamorous

Silver is fashionable

In my description for just a few colors that came to mind, it shows that my feelings towards each color is different in a positive way. Different colors suit different occasions; different colors suit different items. Different color expresses the different me in separate days. All in all, I feel that all colors are beautiful in their own way and I am a person who embraces all colors in life.


   

Design Framework

Based on the discussions in previous posts, the design of my final project in this module calls for integrated responses to the issues of child abuse and child labor from the general public to eliminate the potential negative impacts that might be imposed to our future generation.

As a civilized society and developed nation, we should be guided by the mission to ensure that Malaysian children have a regular childhood by allowing their voices to be heard and by providing various services that aim at nurturing and sustaining their growth and development, which in turn work to protect their immediate and future well-being.

Besides that, this is to ensure that child issues do not impedes with our country’s progress of getting close to reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs are 8 international development goals that were officially established following the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in 2000 and have been agreed to be achieved by year 2015 by 193 United Nations member states. These goals are: 

1. eradicating extreme poverty and hunger 
2. achieving universal primary education 
3. promoting gender equality and empowering women 
4. reducing child mortality rates 
5. improving maternal health 
6. combating HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases 
7. ensuring environmental sustainability 
8. developing a global partnership for development

Goal Statement:

My design project's goal is to

(1) raise and bring into conscious awareness among the general public regarding the issues of child labor and child abuse in Malaysia,
(2) evoke or suggest images, memories and emotions as well as to create a relationship of mutual understanding among Malaysians regarding child abuse and child labor issues, and
(3) encourage Malaysians to play a more active role in speaking up and counter against the rise of child abuse and child labor,

through the presentation of visual art project.

The Classy Baroque Movement

Although there are several other art movements that intensified the sense of creativity and emotional expression in mankind, I find myself being most able to identify with and to appreciate the passion and artwork by various Baroque artists, like Bernini.

After researching on various art movements, I learned that Baroque evolved out of Renaissance and many Baroque artists recreated masterpieces originated by artists from the Renaissance era but with a tinge of emotional expression. And the element of emotion differentiates between Baroque artworks and masterpieces from the Renaissance era as it is stated that artwork from the Renaissance era is characterized by its stillness. I feel that artworks by Baroque artists did not only present emotional dynamics but also a sense of sensuality and burst of strong energy. Therefore, in my point of view, although it was recreated masterpieces, the addition of the element of emotion is considered a huge transformation and it shows progression of one culture, the Renaissance, to another, the Baroque culture. 

Comparison between Renaissance artist, Michelangelo (1504) and Baroque artist, Bernini's (1623) The Statue of David.

Besides that, Baroque art does not only include visual painting, architectures and sculptures but also literature, dance and music. And my all time favorite Baroque musician has been, and will always be the great Johann Pachelbel. I love Pachelbel's Canon in D. The music is classy, sentimental but courageous and full of positive energy. In fact, my graduate thesis focused on studying the effects of Baroque music, which is Pachelbel's Canon in D, together with other variables on human cognitive performance!

My favorite Baroque sculpture, the Trevi Fountain (1762) in Rome, Italy. 

The exquisite Trevi Fountain by night.

Back to talking about me feelings towards visual artworks created by Baroque masters. In my opinion, Baroque movement is all about pointing out and emphasizing differences between its own culture and the Renaissance and hence, creating a whole new culture with its own characteristics and identity - The Baroque Culture - a culture where a wealth of messages are being transformed into paintings and manifested in visual forms. Moreover, emotional suppression due to societal or cultural changes are being expressed artistically. 

Personally, I feel that Baroque movement is not just an era where art masters recreate existed artwork but with emotional expression, it is also an era where artists open up their mind and heart to listen to different voices that call for creativity and sensuality to be displayed in various artworks. 

To put everything together, Baroque movement represents a movement in art, a switch in culture, a change in mankind and a progression in life. Movements, switches, changes and progressions showed me that life is neither constant nor stagnant and there are always rooms for improvement. And this is also why I like the Baroque movement.  

Child Issues in Malaysia

CHILD LABOR
 
Based on the Anti-Slavery Society Report, 9.5% of all boys and 5.5% of all girls between the ages of 10 and 14 belonged to the labor force in Malaysia. Child labor can be found in all sectors of the economy. In the urban areas, children make up an essential part of the work-force in catering, small scale industry and commerce, where they make up at least one-third of the workforce.

The explanation for the widespread use of child labor in Malaysia is a result of the uneven nature of the growth of the Malaysian economy over the last decade, which has limited development to certain sectors. High capital investment has been restricted to the foreign and multinational owned electronics and textiles industries which occupy the Free Trading Zones. The other sectors like agriculture and small-scale industries have not had inputs in terms of capital or improved technology and, therefore, they remain viable only by cutting down on labor costs in order to maximize profits. These are some of the important factors for the growing demand for child labor.

In Malaysia, over 43,000 children between the ages of 10 to 14 have started working to supplement the family income. Of these,  

• 10,214 worked in the rubber estates 
• 11,609 were involved with agricultural activities 
• 8,058 in commerce and services 
• 4,233 in the manufacturing sector 
• 8,927 were classified as others

Child labor is a major problem in the oil palm and rubber estates of Malaysia. 60% of the child labor force was to be found in the age range of 6-10 in the oil palm plantations and 56% of the working children in the rubber estates are between the age of 10 and 12.


CHILD ABUSE

According to UNICEF Malaysia 2010, the number of reported child abuse cases in Malaysia has been increasing in the last few years with an increase of 700 reported cases between 2006 and 2008. Despite significant strides made by the Government in improving child protection measures in recent years, statistics from the Department of Social Welfare show a rise in reported child abuse cases in Malaysia:

• 2008: 2,780 child abuse reports 
• 2007: 2,279 child abuse reports
• 2006: 1,999 child abuse reports

Based on 2008 reported figures, neglect is the most common form of child abuse in Malaysia. The breakdown of the three key forms of abuse is as follows:  

• 952 child victims experienced neglect, meaning a caretaker failed to provide for the child’s basic needs. Failure to provide care and supervision has become the most frequent cause of death among children. 
• 863 child victims were physically abused. 
• 733 child victims were sexually abused, 72% were incest. 
• 58 child victims were abandoned babies. 

The impact of abuse is far greater than its immediate, visible effects. Abuse is associated with short- and long-term consequences that may include:  

• brain damage
• developmental delays
• learning disorders
• problems forming relationships
• aggressive behavior
• depression

Survivors of child abuse and neglect may be at greater risk for problems that affect not just the child and family, but society as a whole later in life, such as:  

• low academic achievement 
• drug use 
• teen pregnancy 
• criminal behavior 

Child abuse causes a country the loss of human potential. For example:  

• an abused child is less likely to be able to fulfill his/her potential to contribute to society 
• damage done to the country’s economy due to lost productivity in the workforce 
• pain and suffering for the child and family

Research on Child Issues

CHILD LABOR

According to the International Labor Organization, child labor is defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, potential and dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development. In its most extreme forms, child labor involves children being enslaved, separated from their families, exposed to serious hazards and illnesses and/or left to fend for themselves on the streets of large cities, often at a very early age. Whether or not particular forms of “work” can be called “child labor” depends on the child’s age, the type and hours of work performed, the conditions under which it is performed and the objectives pursued by individual countries.

The worst forms of child labor:

• All forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery, such as the sale and trafficking of children, debt bondage and serfdom and forced or compulsory labor, including forced or compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflict.
• The use, procuring or offering of a child for prostitution, for the production of pornography or for pornographic performances.
• The use, procuring or offering of a child for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs as defined in the relevant international treaties.
• Work which, by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to harm the health, safety or morals of children.

UNICEF stated that millions of children work to help their families in ways that are neither harmful nor exploitative. However, approximately 150 million children aged 5-14 in developing countries, about 16% of all children in this age group, are involved in child labor. It was estimated that throughout the world, around 215 million children under 18 work, many full-time. In Sub Saharan African, 1 in 4 children aged 5-17 work, compared to 1 in 8 in Asia Pacific and 1 in 10 in Latin America. Even though the prevalence of child labor has been falling in recent years everywhere (besides Sub Saharan Africa, where it is increasing among children aged 5-14), child labor continues to harm the physical and mental development of children and adolescents and interfere with their education.

 Facts about Child Labor  

• One out of 6 children in the world today is involved in child labor, doing work that is damaging to his or her mental, physical and emotional development. 
• Every year, 22 000 children die in work related accidents. 
• 73 million working children are less than 10 years old. 
• 40-50% of those in bonded labor are children. 
• The largest number of working children is in the Asia-Pacific region. 
• Sub-Saharan Africa has the largest proportion of working children (69 million-nearly one third of children aged 14 and under). 
• Most children work in the informal sector (e.g. in homes or on the streets) without any legal protection. 
• 69% work in agriculture, commercial hunting and fishing or forestry. 
• 9% work in manufacturing. 
• 8% work in wholesale and retail trade, restaurants and hotels.  
• 7% work in community, social and personal service, such as domestic work.

Child labor is a heavy issue that continues to grow and affects more than 10 million children each day. Child labor does not only damage children’s health and threaten their education but it leads to further exploitation, violence and abuse.



CHILD ABUSE
 
The World Health Organization (WHO) defined child abuse or maltreatment as all forms of physical and/or emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect or negligent treatment or commercial or other exploitation, resulting in actual or potential harm to the child’s health, survival, development or dignity in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust or power. 

• Physical (e.g. failure to provide necessary food or shelter, or lack of appropriate supervision) 
• Medical (e.g., failure to provide necessary medical or mental health treatment) 
• Educational (e.g., failure to educate a child or attend to special education needs) 
• Emotional (e.g., inattention to a child's emotional needs, failure to provide psychological care)
• Exploitation (e.g. child labor, child prostitution)

Facts about Child Abuse

• An estimated 1.2 million children are trafficked worldwide every year. 
• An estimated 300 million children worldwide are subjected to violence, exploitation and abuse, including the worst forms of child labor in communities, schools and institutions. 
• Children living in areas of extreme economic hardship and social disruption are at increased risk for abuse, violence, and exploitation. 
• About 1.5 billion children live in the 42 countries affected by violent conflict between 2002 and 2006. 
• Of 14.2 million refuges worldwide, 41% may be children under the age of 18. 
• Worldwide, an estimated 40 million children under the age of 15 suffer from violence, abuse and neglect. 
• An estimated 1.2 million children (both boys and girls) are trafficked each year into exploitative work, including mining, factories, armed conflict or commercial sex work.