Hidden Inside, Hidden Outside Essay
My photography project- Hidden Inside, Hidden Outside- is focused on psychological disorders, how they affect the person suffering and others around them. The title of this project represents the subject matter of psychological disorders as it symbolises the hurt and confusion ‘inside’ the person suffering and also the denial of the people around them and the denial in society. I have chosen this subject matter, as it is personal to me. I have friends that suffer with depression, anxiety and eating disorders so I have witnessed the effects of psychological disorders and I want to portray how difficult it can be to cope sometimes. Also this issue is bigger than many people realise. For example, 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem in the course of a year. I hope that after completing this project, people who see it will understand the message and maybe understand mental health disorders a bit more and appreciate how serious they are instead of ignoring them and pushing the people aside. Artists I will be using include Arnulf Rainer, Ryuta Iida and a student. Their work links in with psychological disorders as they explore themes of loss of identity and feeling trapped, which relate to feelings associated with mental illness. I will also be using my own ideas to portray the dehumanisation of people with mental disorders in society and extreme behaviour some people with a negative body image will do to avoid looking at themselves.
The first artist I made reference to in my coursework is Arnulf Rainer. He creates images using charcoal (fig. 1) and paint to define facial features and distort them. The distortion involved in the images means that they relate to a theme of identity, which also relates to the subject matter I explored (psychological disorders). In order to recreate Rainer's images I took photographs of models positioned in similar ways to the models in Rainer's images in order for the application of the charcoal and paint to reflect the patterns that Rainer used (fig. 2).
To develop the images I decided to use diptychs of an image of the model facing forwards with their eyes closed on the left and then in the image on the right the model is facing left, as if they were looking at the image of themselves on the left. In this image I used paint to define the hair as Rainer did in his work, I also used charcoal to darken under the model's eyes and create lines from this image to the one on the right of the diptych (fig 3 and fig 4). I did this to create the effect that the model is reflecting on themselves and the two different images of them: one plain and one with paint, represents the two versions of themselves. One where they feel normal and content with themselves and the other where they do not and wish they did, represented by them looking towards their 'other self', creating one image.
The second artist I used in my coursework was Ryuta Iida. She created images using models who sat as still as they could for 10 minutes whilst a photographer took photographs of them. Iida then used prints of these images, which were stacked on top of each other, and then cut into them to create a final image where the model's facial features were distorted due to the patterns created when Iida cut into them (fig 5). Similarly to Rainer's work, Iida's work deals with the theme of identity and explores the loss and confusion of someone who is confused about their own identity. This links to psychological disorders as individuals who have disorders such as Schizophrenia may experience a loss of connection with the real world and may not understand who they are. I recreated Iida's images by repeating her process, however, I used less layers of paper to create the images (fig 6).
For the development I decided to use a singular image of the model looking towards the camera. I then digitally selected particular sections of a different image of the same model, for example, their eyes and below their chin. I selected them in the shape of a circle and then placed them on the main image of the model. I then used the burn tool to distort the edges of the circle by darkening them. I also used the burn tool to edit the facial features like the teeth and eyes to create a feeling of discomfort and a tense unnatural mood (fig 7 and fig 8). This reflects psychological disorders, as although the models do not actually look like how they are presented in these images, someone with a disorder such as BDD may actually believe this is how they look as their reality is disrupted by negative thoughts and perceptions.
The third artist I gained inspiration from was a student. I completed three different shoots for this artist, as all were relevant to psychological disorders and I wanted to recreate all three of her ideas.
The third artist I gained inspiration from was a student. I completed three different shoots for this artist, as all were relevant to psychological disorders and I wanted to recreate all three of her ideas.
For the first shoot I recreated the student’s work with a scanner (fig 9). I was the model for the images so that I could position myself on the scanner and obtain the composition I wanted for the images (fig 10). I believe this shoot relates to feelings of being trapped, isolated and frustrated, which links to Depression.
To develop these images I decided to use word clouds of different disorders I felt that related to the shoot and layer them over one of the images I had taken (fig 11 and fig 12). As if it was a brand/label to represent that people with psychological disorders are often treated differently and labelled negatively by some people.
The second shoot involved gathering four models, a white sheet and some powerful lights. The student created silhouettes using this method (fig 13) and I felt if I could recreate these images, it would be a good representation of feeling trapped and isolated linking in with my subject matter- psychological disorders (fig 14).
For the third and final shoot the student used models that were stood in the shower (fig 15). These images have a dark and tense atmosphere, also a melancholic feeling too as showers are often places that are linked with over thinking and protagonists in particular films often seem to have break downs in the shower. I recreated these images by repeating the student’s process and making the images black and white also (fig 16).
I did three shoots, which were not based on artists. The first was called The Many Faces, the second- Reflections of Him and the third and final own shoot, which also contains my final piece, is Perception.
The Many Faces shoot represents the emotions that people go through on a daily basis, like fear (fig 17) and also relates to psychological disorders as I wanted to represent that their emotions are often heightened and sometimes even non-existent, especially with disorders like Depression, this is why I have also included emotions such as empty (fig 18).
Reflections of Him shows an individual trying to find their true identity. The distortion of colour created by the lighting represents the feelings of sadness and also gives the image a cold feeling. Fig 19 shows the reflection looking back at the camera, which I felt would link to the psychological disorder Schizophrenia as the it looks like the refection in the mirror is staring at the camera where as the model's face cannot be seen and so the model may not be creating the reflection, as if the reflection and the person were two separate people. This shoot also conveys desperation, linking it to other disorders such as Depression and Anxiety disorders (fig 20).
For my third and final shoot I decided to focus on one disorder called Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). This is where the person suffering with the disorder has extreme distress caused by parts of their bodies, which they perceive to be too big/too small/ugly. To portray this disorder I used one continuous model and took pictures of them with family and friends on special days like their birthday and Christmas. I then scratched their faces out of the images to create the effect that the model had actually done this to their own photos to avoid looking at their facial features (fig 21 and fig 22).
My final piece is a photo diary with the edits I have created displayed as if part of a diary entry. Each image is accompanied by a written diary entry to create the sense that the diary belongs to a real person with psychological disorders. To create the diary entries I have used some quotes from people I know with different types of disorders, for example, Bipolar Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder and Schizophrenia. I have done this to give a personal feeling to the final piece and also a more realistic feeling, as if the diary really could belong to someone.
My final piece is a photo diary with the edits I have created displayed as if part of a diary entry. Each image is accompanied by a written diary entry to create the sense that the diary belongs to a real person with psychological disorders. To create the diary entries I have used some quotes from people I know with different types of disorders, for example, Bipolar Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder and Schizophrenia. I have done this to give a personal feeling to the final piece and also a more realistic feeling, as if the diary really could belong to someone.
To conclude, throughout completing this coursework I have learnt a lot more about lighting techniques and also ways of changing the composition of photographs in order to ensure that the main focus of the image is what should be the main focus. I have also learned a lot more about psychological disorders during completing my research.
Bibliography
www.moma.org (2015)
www.tate.org.uk (2015)
www.booooooom.com (2015)
www.art2day.co.uk (2015)
imageteacher.wordpress.com (2015)
www.nhs.uk (2015)
www.adaa.org (2015)
www.digitalcameraworld.com (2015)
www.mentalhealth.org.uk (2015)
www.tate.org.uk (2015)
www.booooooom.com (2015)
www.art2day.co.uk (2015)
imageteacher.wordpress.com (2015)
www.nhs.uk (2015)
www.adaa.org (2015)
www.digitalcameraworld.com (2015)
www.mentalhealth.org.uk (2015)