For this project, I decided to work with glow-sticks in the location of my parent's bathroom late at night. As I was taking multiple exposures of the glow-sticks whether they were in motion or within the water, I noticed some of the shapes that were captured could be manipulated into elements that are associated with water such as fishes, boats, and waterfalls. The process almost felt nostalgic as it took me back to my childhood of playing with glow-sticks in the dark and pretending I was at sea while in the bathtub. With that, I decided to composite the photo that was reminiscent of my childhood and the creativity that sparked from imagination with colorful long exposures with floating elements as the space is illuminated with numerous lights.
Bathe in Light - Night Prowler Project - Troy Vong Nguyen
ReplyDeleteDescribe:
Bathe in Light - Night Prowler Project - Troy Vong Nguyen
The work is composed of various multiple exposures of glow light sticks being waved throughout a dark setting of a bathroom. The stark colorful contrast created through this technique creates a very vivid and vibrant composition and subject matter. Definitely very spontaneous in terms of basic elements of design such as proportion and what not, but this is what accentuates that lively atmosphere.
Interpret:
I personally think the work is about spontaneity and childish behavior, in which Troy also mentioned in her post caption, where this was something inspired by the imaginative mind of her as a child way back when. And so therefore I believe that overall it seems to be a very fun piece to have been able to make. Aside from the meaningful thought of her childhood that is definitely attached to this piece, I can’t really think of anything more meaningful to inspire such a composition. The creation of shapes and animals among other things really create such a playful and vibrant atmosphere, accentuating that playful mood and tone that I get from looking at this piece.
Evaluate:
Overall, the submission from Troy in my honest opinion very much exceeded the project's parameters (in a good way) and really emphasized the idea of multiple exposures and she went a long way with manipulating light in a way to create an interesting composition and a very fun one at that. And being able to shape light into shapes and animals really accentuated this idea of a transformative composition. I think overall it’s very well done and the way in which the exposures are used are creative and unique to her concept of playing with glow sticks to create shapes. While I’ve already discussed the more formal elements, I believe that they were very well done and express technique of multiple exposures very well.
Theorize:
Within our larger culture, not entirely sure in terms of cultural symbolism, but rather a universal feeling of the unending imagination of children and how one’s simple actions can become something more meaningful, in which case I believe that is what we have here in Troy’s piece. Being able to create and in a way personify light in a way that symbolizes the importance of an imagination.
That’s about it since it definitely feels much more like a personal experience and piece for her and so therefore I’m unable to think of anything that is relevant aside from the universal feeling of playfulness that we all have had once in our lives, simply using night exposures as a tool to express the once very colorful lives we had as young children.
Conclusion:
In terms of night/multiple exposures, Troy knocked it out of the park and really expressed what is possible through this method of photography and how it allows a wide range of creativity and freedom, manipulating light in ways in which we normally can’t or wouldn’t be able to see on a daily basis. And to be able to connect this with her childhood this really speaks volumes in regards to our imagination as people. Overall, I think the technical aspect alongside the symbolic and meaningful aspect really work well together and in the end creates a very visually appealing piece!