in Project 1 A: Add, Subtract, Substitute, Superimpose

Project 1A – The Human Condition.

Goal Of Work

Expression of the inner feelings and/or imminent situations of life.

Overall Theme

The Human Condition. In my work, the human head is manipulated to either reveal certain aspects of people that are hidden from society, or to reveal impending events in a person’s life.

Freedom – Super Imposed

old projector showing the film in dusk

creative expression of the filmmaker

The first image in my series, Freedom, represents the creative freedom and expression of a filmmaker. I chose to have a film projector superimposed onto the human head to imply that our thoughts & ideas are akin to a used roll of film. Frame by frame, all we can do is to watch life as it happens and select the moments we want captured.

Fishbowl – Substitution 

SUBSTITUTION

social exclusion

The second image, Fishbowl, is a pictorial representation of introversion and/or exclusion from society. The fish’s world stares at it with curiosity, but it cannot reciprocate or communicate with the world outside it’s tank. It dictates the feelings of people that are excluded from the “norms” of society.

Headless Men – Subtraction

SUBTRACTION small

mid – life crisis

Next, Headless Men describes the situation of the mid-life crisis. The complete lack of a head shows the aimless slumber of working adults. Burdened by life itself, they are unable to move forward and are stuck, rooted to the ground.

Death – Addition 

ADDITION small

the imminent end of life

Death. As the last image in the series, it acts as a reflection for it’s precedents. The addition of the crow onto the old man’s head represents the imminent end of his life. The stark image poses the question: when did life cease to exist?

thoughts.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself with this project. The task of creating art through the manipulation of images allowed me to tap into the work of surrealist artists i had already been following, as well as discover new ones which i have come to love.

Having started out with no intentions of linking either of my pieces together, it came as a surprise to me when I realised that there was a strong link between them; the project had unknowingly become a catharsis of sorts for me. I expressed my outlook on life and some of my fears through the art i was making.

I found this process very refreshing and am glad to say that it has resulted in a series of images that i can call my own. As an aspiring filmmaker I hope to further hone my skills in Foundation 4D and create stronger images for my story.