A key attribute to the idea of simple & complex is the theory of binary opposition. French anthropologist Levi Straus theorized that a key part of media is opposing narratives i.e. good & bad, right & wrong, etc. This is a result of his understanding that the human mind classifies things through binary opposition- the contrasts between two things; so in turn all elements of human culture can only be understood in relation to one another and how they function within a larger system or the overall environment.
This is not only relevant to media products but also to products of the artistic spectrum. For example, people can recognize the major contrast between things such as black and white as well as dark and light. These contrasts are often taken advantage of by artists in order to convey extra effect.
An excellent example of this would be Kristen Regan’s series of images literally called ‘Binary oppositions‘ – in which she takes advantage of the binary opposites of black & white/ light & dark to create some interesting abstract pieces using fluid.
This is a technique I wanted to include in my project, as of course the theme ‘simple & complex is a blatant example of contrasting factors; so I used this contrast to my advantage when framing my final prints in order to give extra effect.
To do this I used 4 images of architecture, 2 of which could be described as ‘simple’ and 2 which are more ‘complex’. After printing to A3 & playing with the order I mounted them onto a large piece of foamboard alongside each other.
