AP 2-D SUSTAINED INVESTIGATION PORTFOLIO
PT. 2
This is the second part to my AP 2-D Sustained Investigation Portfolio.
"Sometimes, these little monsters of the past never leave your head..."
-Soraya Cortes Coria
Under the Veil
Under the Veil II
The Capture
The Dark's Dwellers
Vile Delusion
Recrudescence
Don't you see?
Artist Statement
My central idea explores the human experience and vulnerability in dealing with mental illnesses and disabilities. Even in the 21st Century, individuals who struggle with trauma caused by mental illnesses and disabilities are constantly oppressed by society’s gatekeepers. But for me, this project allowed me to go through a process of self-healing. Not only have I battled with dyslexia, anxiety, nyctophobia, and paranoia for the entirety of my life, but as well as my family members. I also shaped my central idea based on their experiences dealing with mental illnesses and disabilities, being able to connect with their experiences in a very organic way. Their stories strengthened my drive to morph their experiences into a compelling narrative with atmospheric lighting and pushing the limits of facial expression.
Over time, I would implement different techniques of lighting, with each project having its own unique characteristic. Therefore, the way lighting was visual represented evolved differently between each piece. For The Dark’s Dwellers, I only used candlelight, giving a more dramatic, low-light environment. My favorite one was The Capture. This project was thoroughly challenging to enact but it left room for a lot of experimentation and failure, the fun kind. I had a large lamp outside, close to the window and behind my other model. That way, it created a terrifying silhouette, obscured by curtains (they worked technically like a diffuser).
All of my photographs are pivotal to my central idea, especially The Dark’s Dwellers. (Note: this also includes the other photographs from my the first part of my portfolio) My photograph addresses the central idea by focusing on dealing with trauma derived from mental illness. This project conveys one of my early experiences with this phobia. This is personal experience… I suffer from a severe case of nyctophobia because I dealt with domestic abuse at home. The idea of sleeping in the dark, laying awake because the silence of the night would soon erupt into violence, was mortifying for 7 year old me. I wanted other people to relate to my experience, so I crafted my photograph based on an universal experience. A person in their bed, holding tightly onto their sheets with a fearful expression. The candle is the only source of comfort against the menacing hand shadow.
Line, value and space were the most consistent elements of art in my composition. As a result, it strengthen other visual components of composition such as the following: emphasis, movement, contrast, etc.
As I previously stated, I used various lighting techniques. Mixing ambient lighting with artificial for the most part. I usually used what I had available... candles, flashlights and lamps. I would always shoot at night in order to create low-light settings, giving the omniscient atmosphere. I applied studio lighting techniques such as split lighting, butterfly lighting and/or loop lighting when I shot portraits.
