photoshop poster; 11×17”
“Minorities, in particular Black minorities, have faced and fought against oppression since America was founded. I highlighted the past by using a photograph of ‘Bloody Tuesday’, a 1964 protest in Tuscaloosa, and laying it atop a modern day Black Lives Matter protest. I used the ‘screen’ filter on the Bloody Tuesday image and put it on the layer directly above the black lives matter layer. Originally, I wanted to use Static Shock as my superhero but due to the lack of good, high-quality images I chose Jefferson Pierce, or Black Lightning. I felt it was important to use a strong, black superhero with the message. I used the pen tool to cut him out and dragged him on top of the already compiled poster. Using the hue/saturation layer I added various highlights to his super suit to give him more of a superhero glow. Combining all of these elements together I was able to create the ‘Change is Timeless’ poster.”
ARTIST BIO: Brandon Cruz is a Grade 11 student at Oak Hills High School (OHHS).