For my project I wanted to depict the idea of the depths that depression can drown you and the fight against the demons that try to pull you in. In this particular version I get pulled in.
I used a Fractal effect for the smoke with multiple layers to create a moving cloudy appearance. I also used masks to create the idea of the hands (these are mine) coming out of the void to grab me. The irony is that it was daylight out and the sunlight was shining in, but I masked it out to the blackness of the void which doesn't allow me to see the sunlight.
This work shows a person being swallowed into a void of gloom. The subject stands in a doorway and one by one hands reach out and latch on to the subject. The subject is then pulled into the void and the door fades to darkness. The silhouetted subject is posed to look as if they were trying to stop from falling into the void. The continuous motion in this piece is the smoke in the door frame. The same smokey background is applied to the hands to blend in with the background and the composition stands out on the black background.
ReplyDeleteWhen interpreting the work I see it as a person trying to fight against falling into chaos and possible darkness. With the stance of the subject it looks as though they are fighting to avoid falling through this entryway. The dark background also adds to the gloomy feel of the composition. The composition relates to the subject emotionally because of the gloominess of the portrait and how the person may feel overwhelmed and consumed by sadness that can over take the person. The hands that emerge from the door forcefully grab the subject as they fade and are no longer seen fighting the negative emotions in the doorway. This alludes to the idea that the negative emotions/thoughts won and the subject will further sink into their thoughts of negativity.
I think using the silhouetted figure worked well in the composition to further her idea. If a regular dim light photo was used it wouldn’t as effectively convey the idea of darkness. Utilizing the fractal effect like we learned in class demo worked really well. When watching the video the hands are very seamless with the background and the motion of the hands look natural. The hands creep onto the subject then forces it into the doorway of gloom. To further the idea of the subject fighting to fall into the void I would consider adding motion to the subject's arms to look as though they were truly fighting back against the darkness.
The motion starts off with the hands and the moving smoke-like background. Then towards the end the subject sinks into the abyss. To further the idea of gloom and depression I would consider adding in text of gloomy messaging or sad thoughts one may have. The moving elements in this piece helps to deepen our understanding of sadness and how it can over power anyone. The motion I believe is highlighted the most is the hands that reach out and grasp on to the subject.
This portrait piece connects with the larger culture because things like social media are becoming more widespread to all age groups and worldwide. There are certain things shared on social media that can make people fall into this pit of sadness and question who they are when they compare themselves to people online. Also peoples personal struggles play a part in the level of sadness one faces. I believe that this image was created to visualize what someone facing depression/sadness looks like and how depression is a darkness filled void. For people struggling with depression this composition makes them feel seen and if people know someone facing depression this is how it would be visually expressed.
Overall, sadness/depression is an overwhelming feeling that feels like a dark void. The subject in this piece, although tried to fight, ended up being overcome by the darkness. The fractal effect was the main effect that brought this piece together and blended the moving hands with the shadows of the doorway. In today’s society more and more people are impacted by depression or know people dealing with it on a daily basis. This portrait brings this idea to life in the pit of depression one can fall into.