The City and I: The Impact of the Community on the City Identity A Digital Printmaking Approach (An Analytical Critical Study)

Abstract

The research explores the impact and influence the community has on the identity of a city. The construction of the city follows certain standards acquired by the nation with respect to its ideologies and ambitions while the essence of the city is shaped and formed by the communities. The community is based on a mix of tradition, culture and habits, creating the identity of the group. The individual, as part of the larger group, shapes the identity of his/her city. The essence of the city reflects the identity of its community. The norm of a certain community along with its irregularities constructs the identity of their surrounding, hence the city. Therefore, one can assume that the identity of a citizen is equal to the identity of the city. In a visual art project consisting of a series of digital prints (mixed media), the researcher explores the relation between man and his surrounding atmosphere; between man and his home; between man and his city. This visual project delves in presenting how the surrounding atmosphere is affected by the human identity living within it. The community paints the city with its color, thus the city reflects its community.