Sailor
I would like to show the contradictive status of being trapped inside real-life trivial matters while lost in a surrealistic realm due to detachment from the rest of society. The title, Sailor, tries to convey this dual experience described above - being trapped in a giant, slow-moving vessel while traveling free from the rest of the world. The idea of slowing down for careful observation can be found throughout the project - the wrinkle of the bedsheet that reminds people of waves, the bumps and troughs around the peephole looking like the eye of a whale, the texture of the metal mailbox resembling the human skin...
Date
2022/6
Media
7 DSLR photos
Category
Class project (VIS60: Intro to Photography), Photo Essay
I experimented with patterns and abstract shapes found in mundane objects to show the real/surreal aspect of the new norm of life shaped by pandemics and isolation.
Sick with the flu, I had to stay in the hospital and remain isolated for a week while developing this project. Based on this fresh experience, the photo essay aims to show the contradictive status of being trapped inside real-life trivial matters while lost in a surrealistic realm due to detachment from the rest of society.
The title, Sailor, conveys this dual experience described above - being trapped in a giant, slow-moving vessel while traveling free from the rest of the world. The idea of slowing down for careful observation can be found throughout the project - the wrinkle of the bedsheet that reminds people of waves, the bumps and troughs around the peephole looking like the eye of a whale, the texture of the metal mailbox resembling the human skin...
This photo essay intentionally juxtaposes conventionally unrelated objects to show the subtle connections in visual patterns, creating a surrealistic impression.
To achieve coherence between photos visually and metaphorically, I consciously and subconsciously picked a limited color palette for my work - mainly unsaturated greys and beiges with vibrant orange highlights and a hint of dark green, constructing a unique otherworldliness feel separated from reality.
Compositionally, the repetition of elements is used to guide viewers to explore and compare back and forth among the photos.
Instead of being given names, the photos are numbered from 1 to 7, leaving more space for interpretation.
The idea of "sailor" naturally connects with the notion of "journey" - hinting at the hidden logic that the images are taken in the order of the protagonist leaving home during the day and returning at night. The subjects of the object transit from intimate close-up shots to less engaged "normal" distance - a switch from intuitive sensing to rational visual observing.
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7
1
5
3
6