Choice of paper

I chose to print my photos and text on standard printer paper. There were a number of reasons for this choice:

Personal feel – I wanted my work to have a personal ‘raw’ feel to it, and therefore wanted to give it a scrapbook kind of feel. I decided that printing the work on photo paper would make the work to ‘nice’ and presentable and not convey the work in the way I wanted it to be viewed.
Cost – Because I needed to print photos for the top and bottom of each layer, with each layer having multiple photos, the cost of getting them printed was not realistic
Easy to work with – Because of the thin feel of normal paper it meant that it was easy to work it, being able to overlap it, bend it and apply it to the sculpture easily. I wanted to tear the images to once again give it more of a personal feel, and using printer paper allowed me to do this

Test Images

I created images with an abstract feel to them, which resembles my chaotic mind which derives from suffering with social anxiety. The colours within the images are used to attract the viewer to the images, using bright and vivid colours to draw attention to the work. Each image has themes throughout them, for example the green image being related to nature. This allows the viewer to try and create a picture within their mind, yet struggle to get a grip on what they are focusing on. It gives the viewer a insight on what it is like to suffer from social anxiety, giving the work an interactive feel.

The first image – with the blue and purple colours – for me doesn’t work within the series. Although the image appeals to me when viewed on its on, the colours are to different and vivid compared to the rest, making it stand out and not fit in with the other 3.

When presenting the images, I would put each image on an individual layer to break up the self portrait’s they don’t become boring. I would choose 3 of the images above, putting them at equal distance through the sculpture.

Test Images

‘The reflection in the mirror isn’t me. On the outside I am smiling. Underneath, I am suffocating. I’m juggling so much pain; physical, emotional and before you know it the cracks start to show.’ I paired this image with the quote to show the idea of reflection. Within the quote I talk about the suffocation, and the fact that I am not clear within the image portrays this. Not being to see my face, and therefore any emotions shows how I hide how I am feeling. The black sillohette symbolises the negative aspects within my life.

Test Images

The two images above link to the quote – ‘And when you find somebody who accepts you, even with all your faults, everything changes. You open up to them in a way you never thought you could with anyone.’

The images are simple, yet represents the support that I get from being in a relationship. It contrasts with the other images where I am alone. This focuses on the idea of recovery, and how being in a relationship has helped with this. The simplistic muted tones is a theme throughout my work, giving it a film photography feel. Using negative space within the image allows the viewer to focus purely on the hands, without any distractions.

Test Images

These self-portraits were produced to create a sense of loneliness, as well as having no control over this loneliness. I feel that the orange colour of my hair is slightly to bright in these three images, creating a distraction. What works well is the white clothing contrasting against the black headboard, and this idea of contrast is something I will continue to use throughout my work.

These two images for me are the strongest. The first one shows the idea of loneliness more than the others, being surrounded by nothing else in the image. Not showing my face is a common theme I have used throughout my self portraiture work. The final picture works best for me, the blurred effect links to the idea of having no control over my loneliness, and the bright colour of my hair contrasted with the muted tones of the rest of image, draw the viewer into the work. The white clothing has a rawness to it, similar to the film effect colouring within the image.

Test Images

I wanted to create images using shadows, playing on the word ‘consumption’, using colours to experiment with emotion. I feel that the green and red work best. This is because the green represents nature, which is a common theme within my work, whist the red ceases feelings of uneasiness, and anger. The idea of using a shadow shows a lack of connection from reality, as well as wanting to be unseen.

Although I am intrigued by the idea of working with shadows, I feel that these images do not work as they lack interest. I will continue to work with shadows within my photography, however replacing the plant with one that has a more obvious share, or using myself as the subject.