An Artist Statement.
In the PHO2103 Studio Work Assignment, I have chosen Option A of the assignment exploring and investigating the notion of innocence becoming corrupt. It is set in a fairy-tale setting to create symbolism and communicate the notion in a less confronting way, but rather in a rhetorical manner. I don’t think shock tactics always work, it is too freighting and over dramatic so I wanted to have more subtle ways for people to explore this notion in my photographs. For this I have chosen to depict the photographs using symbolism through prop choices, close-up camera angles, photography lighting choices such as vignetting, and darker exposures to create the mood of mystery and suspense that builds to the end.
This idea interests me because in a way it reflects my own life, and how I’ve discovered things as if they were secrets being exposed. Not to say that all secrets are bad, but in the scenario I have set in my photos, I am showing the negative side of secrets. The darker secrets that create corruption and scare people, the ones that nobody likes to think about because they are too freighting and hard to admit it is actually happening.
In terms of aesthetic influences, for different photos, I had different influences and inspirations.
In terms of aesthetic influences, for different photos, I had different influences and inspirations.
For example, the painting with light photo (2nd photo) was influenced by Harold Ross and his style of light painting. The last photo was influenced by Vanitas Still Life photography (though it may not use exact same symbolism - I drew some inspiration from it). For the other photos, I had some inspirations and influences from the internet (see reference list) and from the recommended reading (Hunter, Biver & Fuqua , 2015) and another book (Perweiler, 1984) looking at not just techniques but also the photographic styles. In terms of story/concept, this is influenced by multiple things: happenings around the world, pop culture, just being able to observe the world and the news, and seeing various human behavior and levels of sanity. I feel like these are relative to dark secrets, and darker outlook beyond just a fairy tale.
The focus of my project was on creating photographs characterized by emotions/moods and how it ties to mystery, secrets but in a fairy tale setting. In this, I wanted to take the viewer on a mini journey, starting from being in a state of tranquility, calmness, yet somewhat worried, confused; lost but wanting to find ways out; being young and curious and led into things dark and suspicious, which could lead to corruption.
These themes which represent youth and how the world is corrupt place, it can start out innocent, but as you grow older, you realize the world is not as innocent as you thought and there are many secrets that start to unravel about the world. This is my personal interpretation of the photos in my own set – though to others, it may represent something else. I have left it up to viewer interpretation because I think that this type of notion can be quite abstract, it can mean various things to people and I did not want to limit viewers to just my interpretation. The set can be looked at from varying perspectives – e.g Macro view (e.g my perspective) or micro (e.g personal; addictions, lust, etc.).
Reference List (not included as words for the artist statement). Varying Influences, Research; Inspirations.
Frosty Ceramics (n.d) retrieved from http://cdn.onextrapixel.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/stilllife-
cover.jpg
Glass Cup (n.d) retrieved from https://s-media-cacheak0.
pinimg.com/736x/16/d7/78/16d77856dc201a991ec0540f3995673d.jpg
Hunter, F., Biver, S., & Fuqua, P. (2015). Light, Science and Magic: An introduction to photographic lighting. UK: Taylor& Francis Ltd.
Knife (n.d) retrieved from http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-
VuA1R8e5Dig/UHzMiLmiKdI/AAAAAAAAAdU/Yb6XJOaDYBo/s1600/110-
8_Threelight_Skowvron_180.jpg
Marble (n.d) retrieved from http://roxi-lola.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Colour-gel-Still-Life-Reflection-Photography-2.jpg
Perweiler, G. (1984) Secrets of Studio Still Life Photography. UK Oxford: Phaidon Press Ltd.
Ross, H. Photography (n.d) retrieved from http://www.haroldrossfineart.com/
Tennant, J. (2016) Vanitas Still Life. [pdf notes] retrieved from Edith Cowan University Blackboard Site.
