Figure as Landscape

Process: I used film and experimented with different lighting, background, props, etc. I then developed the film and used an enlarger on silver gelatin paper. For a solarized print, I used the enlarger on the paper, started to develop the paper, then quickly put the paper under white light. I also used the enlarger on a larger piece of paper which I then spent several days hand painting with oil paints. I also used markers and colored pencils on two other prints.

 

Guiding Question: How does society shape people? (ie what we do, how we look/make ourselves look, etc.).

With the rise of social media, the mental health of young adults has been drained. The snapshots of seemingly perfect lives--shaped through filters and body modifications (electronically and physically)--has put an increasing strain on younger members of society to reach that level. The unachievable expectations drive women to seek ways to meet an impossible beauty standard. Through this project, I wanted to explore, exemplify, and capture the effects of society specifically on teenage girls. One of the ways I did this was through the concept of hiding. I mostly did this through literal hiding, however it is meant to represent a more metaphorical/emotional level of hiding. This is supposed to show a sense of a pseudo-identity, a suppressed and hidden true self. Furthermore, I explored the concept of plastic surgery and dreams of an unattainable perfection.