The task for the second week was to create a set of photographs using ideas from the research.
Initially I thought of using projections to project an altered reality featuring a subject(s) onto a plain background. I would then get the subject from the photo to stand in front of the projector which in turn would create a silhouette onto the projected image. This silhouette would be of someone in the photo, creating a ghostly and sinister overlay which acts as a signifier that they are the creatore. Moreover, this concept would display the creator of the altered reality as a mysterious figure, hiding behind the reality to which they have created and published. This can be seen in the example below:
However, this concept proved difficult in the time frame provided, and I was very limited with the studio I was in; experiencing issues with camera angles and subject placement, as well as the issue of photographing a high quality photo out of a somewhat-decent projection of an image...as shown here:
I did a bit more research to find a new take on the theme which lead me to create a set of photos that follow a similar concept Magritte used in a series of paintings titled “Cesi n’est pas une pipe”, which translates to “This Is Not A Pipe”. In this series, he displayed a smoking pipe with the caption “This Is Not A Pipe” purely to confuse the audience. This use of subtle surrealism led people to question the pipe and the ideas behind what defined this item as a pipe. This idea is closely linked to the media theory of hyperreality and simulacra, where a ‘sign’ or indicator of an object or product becomes more valuable than the product itself. (i.e a Supreme branded brick does the same job as a standard brick, but is deemed more valuable because it is branded)
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