Still Convicted by the Same Reasons
This is my artist statement for my photography project I'm turning in tomorrow. I thought it would be cool to include it because it originally was a journal entry.
In my photography project I asked people to recall a significant event in their lives as well as what they were wearing during the event. I also asked them to write in their own handwriting why it was important. Then, I took a picture of only their clothes and photoshopped their words into the picture. I decided I would only take photographs of people who I know through other people. I was not accustomed with their personality-the longest time we spent together was probably when I took their photograph. In light of this, I had no idea what event they would pick or what sort of moral convictions they were bound to.
As I photographed this project I realized how interesting it is that we know most people through other people or things that we do. We know the majority of people because of something else; how else would we get to know people? I am not sure why it is so interesting to me, but I suppose it is because I have begun to value my interactions with people now more than ever. I consider who is worth spending time with-how they might build my character, who might give me legitimate advice, who actually cares about my well-being, or if I can fully appreciate them myself with all of their idiosyncrasies. I think I have begun to take my interactions with people with a grain of salt. Perhaps it is because I think everybody exaggerates and it is a type of paranoia for me to overcome, but I have been trying to not take what people tell me with full confidence of what is right or good for me as well. I think it is part of me till trying to investigate my values.
What I have also been questioning and realized what I wanted to represent after completing this project is how words/script, in my opinion, have become more valuable than speaking. Instead of telling the viewer why these clothes are significant I have included it right there with them in writing. Script has possibly become more important to me because I can continue to return to it and receive more out of it the second time or because I will never forget it. I feel that my ability to recall conversations has been slowly deteriorating and maybe it is because that is the way that our technology has surrounded me. With emails, texts, and typed papers there is no longer a need to talk or to remember and I have become quieter. This, therefore, has made me surrounded with my thoughts because I am not speaking anymore, but I am craving just to speak, just to speak more clearly, just to understand what I want to know, and what I think in words-in speech. I feel as if cannot even express myself anymore in speech and as if I do not even know how to speak coherently. Most of the time I am surprised with myself when I can utter a well constructed sentence.
Through my project’s intimate investigation of the personal past of strangers, I have come to appreciate their raw memories just as my raw, developing speech. Although I asked them to tell me about their experiences in conversation they have also been transcribed to me in the lasting medium of unaltered text. No paraphrasing and mix ups with their words. It is safe.
In my photography project I asked people to recall a significant event in their lives as well as what they were wearing during the event. I also asked them to write in their own handwriting why it was important. Then, I took a picture of only their clothes and photoshopped their words into the picture. I decided I would only take photographs of people who I know through other people. I was not accustomed with their personality-the longest time we spent together was probably when I took their photograph. In light of this, I had no idea what event they would pick or what sort of moral convictions they were bound to.
As I photographed this project I realized how interesting it is that we know most people through other people or things that we do. We know the majority of people because of something else; how else would we get to know people? I am not sure why it is so interesting to me, but I suppose it is because I have begun to value my interactions with people now more than ever. I consider who is worth spending time with-how they might build my character, who might give me legitimate advice, who actually cares about my well-being, or if I can fully appreciate them myself with all of their idiosyncrasies. I think I have begun to take my interactions with people with a grain of salt. Perhaps it is because I think everybody exaggerates and it is a type of paranoia for me to overcome, but I have been trying to not take what people tell me with full confidence of what is right or good for me as well. I think it is part of me till trying to investigate my values.
What I have also been questioning and realized what I wanted to represent after completing this project is how words/script, in my opinion, have become more valuable than speaking. Instead of telling the viewer why these clothes are significant I have included it right there with them in writing. Script has possibly become more important to me because I can continue to return to it and receive more out of it the second time or because I will never forget it. I feel that my ability to recall conversations has been slowly deteriorating and maybe it is because that is the way that our technology has surrounded me. With emails, texts, and typed papers there is no longer a need to talk or to remember and I have become quieter. This, therefore, has made me surrounded with my thoughts because I am not speaking anymore, but I am craving just to speak, just to speak more clearly, just to understand what I want to know, and what I think in words-in speech. I feel as if cannot even express myself anymore in speech and as if I do not even know how to speak coherently. Most of the time I am surprised with myself when I can utter a well constructed sentence.
Through my project’s intimate investigation of the personal past of strangers, I have come to appreciate their raw memories just as my raw, developing speech. Although I asked them to tell me about their experiences in conversation they have also been transcribed to me in the lasting medium of unaltered text. No paraphrasing and mix ups with their words. It is safe.