All Aspects

Artist Statement

My project which I titled “All Aspects” demonstrates the theme of energy, toughness and the true intensity of boxing through my created GIF. Using an image of an old-style image of a boxer and I wanted to use words that are extremely apparent in boxing such as my words chosen for my GIF. I wanted to show the true passion and determination for a boxer. The GIF creates a sense of the visual and emotional impact of the sport of boxing, and this creates an experience for my viewers of power, determination and impact.

The words I chose to use over the GIF were “POWER, IMPACT and DETERMINATION” in which the words are in different parts of the GIF. I did this to create a sense that wherever you are in the sport, these important parts are needed to perform. These words add an element of strength, passion, commitment and show the mental toughness and physical effort of the athlete. By positioning the text differently across frames, I created a visual rhythm that interacts with the motion of the boxer, making the piece feel alive and engaging.

To create the glitch part of the brief, I used effects such as RGB Shift, scanlines and pixelate on Mosh Lite. This created energy and tension for the piece while enhancing the GIF all around. I placed my text in different areas and used different words whilst also using glitch effects and the looping animation on repeat to ensure it was a GIF. This also helps with the replaying of the GIF, which emphasizes the sport’s physical and emotional challenges.

Overall, this project challenged me to think about how to position text, what images to use and how to create the final GIF. I realised quickly that the small changes when making a GIF are extremely important when trying to get a message across. “All Aspects” was ultimately a success and was a study in energy, determination and the creation of GIF-based art.

Artist Bio

Ciarán Shields is a creative media student in DKIT. His work showcases themes of energy, passion, and discipline through digital imagery and GIF art. Ciarán blends imagery with RGB effects and glitch aesthetics to reflect his interest in sport and digital design. His projects are often influenced by sporting images and contemporary digital art movements. He focuses on sport and the passion behind it, and is especially drawn to continuous-loop animations that encourage viewer engagement and introspection. Ciarán emphasises innovation and personal creative ideas, frequently working with self-developed tools to build a distinct digital style.

Email: Ciaranshields@outlook.com
Twitter: @shields_ciaran Portfolio: @shields_ciaran <

This work “All Aspects” by Ciarán Shields is licensed under a CC BY-NC 4.0.