Carmen, Carmen
❋ Role
Graphic Designer
❋ Skills
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe InDesign
❋ Tools Used
Collage
Art Direction
Project Overview
Carmen, Carmen is a fanzine which explores the world of singer and songwriter Lana del Rey. It examines the possibilities of other mediums where Lana del Rey could also showcase her artistry, such as if she were also an author or an actress. The zine contains tailored collages I created for each possibility, which are visual representations of her atmospheric, flowery music.
Zine Concept
I designed a total of four collages for this zine, one for the artist statement spread, and then three others each representing one of her songs. The songs I chose were: Born to Die, Fine China, and Black Beauty. These are some of my favorite Lana del Rey songs. I decided on using collages as a medium for this zine because I felt that collages are the easiest way to express a vivid and wild imagination.
Born To Die
One of my all-time favorite Lana del Rey songs is Born to Die, a lush, cinematic elegy to a doomed love. In the world this zine explores Born to Die, as a painting too, not just a song. The fictional myth of this painting is that no one knows who painted it, but it depicts Lana del Rey as a goddess amongst the clouds.
Fine China
The second exploration uses Lana’s tender and heartbreaking song Fine China, and turns it into a Hollywood film. The song is about a bride whose groom leaves her on the day of their wedding. Thus, the movie is the story behind that.
Black beauty
Black Beauty is a sweeping, grand song about the pain of loving someone who can’t find happiness. This time, instead of Lana herself being the star of the medium, she is the creator. She is the author of a novel about two reunited wartime sweethearts, where the man cannot escape his haunting memories of the war. The woman is left to stand by him and support him, but even she cannot reach where he is.
