Photography: Identity Project

These are photographs that I took for my identity project. I wanted my project to document a character who is trying the find his own identity through experimenting with the look of different people. This shows the character loose his own identity as he is deforming his look so much that he is becoming a combination of the different personas. This mirrors how people try create personalities by adhering  to stereotypes when really they are loosing themselves.

For my identity project I created a character who explores a variety of identities to find one that they suit and it is this characteristic of constantly evolving which becomes the identity of the character. This piece evolved from a photograph of the character in a gasmask. On Photoshop, I removed the background, made the image black and white and changed the contrast. I then layered a negative of this on top and used a leaf eraser tool to expose the positive image underneath. I like this piece as I think the leaf pattern makes it look as though the ideas and imagination of the character are bursting through the Identity he is creating for himself. 

This is another photograph of myself from my Identity project. This shows another one of the identities created by my character. I like the contrast in this piece and the way that the bright colours in the hair adds warmth to the otherwise cold image.

This piece is a self-portrait photograph that I edited in Photoshop with the 'Curves' tool. This is part of a group of work on the subject of identity. For my project, I intended to create work that showed the thought patterns of someone who was searching for an identity. I feel that the unusual colours and the distorted mouth reflect the frenzied mindset of the person who is searching for an Identity and the magnifying glass helps create the idea of a search.

Micro World

For this piece I decided to photograph 1/87th scale model people in a cereal bowl filled with milk. I have always liked working with figures in a smaller scale and I had been influenced by Akiko Ida and Pierre Javelle's work with small figurines.  My two favourite things about this image are the vibrant colours and the reflection of the sitting man in the milk. I like how he seems careless about the fact that all his fellow miniature people are drowning in milk and that presumably they are all soon to be eaten.

Risk Project

Abstract self portrait. Experimenting with impasto.

Experimenting with painting in the impressionist style.

Experimenting with creating an abstract image using stitching.

This is a photograph that I took of a marble statue.  I then increased the contrast and made the image black and white in Photoshop. To add texture and depth to the background of the image I sewed the word 'faces' into the paper. I think this is an effective way to add interest to an otherwise very ordinary piece. The stitch brings out the background of the image and creates an almost psychedelic pattern.

A polystyrene-print self portrait.

This is an image transfer of a photograph onto a collaged paper background. I took this photograph in a church in Italy and after changing the contrast in Photoshop I thought it would work well as it is bold enough to stand out of the collaged background. I think this is an interesting way to add colour and texture to an otherwise very 2D black and white photograph.

Impasto image transfer.

Painting onto a collaged background.

2D Clay head with words relating to my project pressed in.

Etched clay drawing.

Etched clay drawing.

Ransom note style photograph

Ransom note style photograph

Etched drawing.