Assessment 2 - Reflection
This project continues my exploration of the binary oppositions of old and young. I wanted to explore a sort of middle ground, a shared space that exists between the two, rather than focusing specifically on age and its characteristics. In doing do, I have showcased the candid moment of laughter and joy which is experienced by individuals from youth to old age. Emotions such as these are indiscriminate of age and are experienced in moments throughout life at any and every age. I exhibited this notion of shared space by combining various portraits of individuals of different ages. The final work is inclusive of toddlers, young adults, middle-ages, and the elderly, all merged together to create four new portraits. I wanted them to be humorous appropriations of their original portraits to reflect the overarching light-hearted vibe of the artwork.
Initially, I experimented with pencil sketching as my medium, hoping that it would create a sense of cohesion to mixed portrait. This didn’t work out well because it was difficult to discern that the portrait was even pieced together from parts of different individuals. It was also hard to realise the age differences of the individuals due to the texture of pencil shading making them all seem to have wrinkly skin. From this, I experimented with simply editing them together on photoshop. I liked that this medium showcased the mixed portrait with more contrast between the layers and also a more humorous linear connection with the different parts. Once I established that I was going to work with photoshop as my medium to create these mixed portraits, I focused on adjusting the perspectives and angles of individual pieces to make the overall portrait more cohesive. Similarly, the resizing of the different aspects was important in not only making the portraits more linear and connected, but also added to its humour. A few of the mouth pieces were subtly blown up to larger proportions, which emphasises their laugh and perceived absurdity in the moment.
These portraits are black and white to reflect the timeless nature of this experience. Although the moment of candid laughter itself may be transient, it can be experienced by anyone at any time. These moments have gone largely undocumented in history simply because they cannot be premeditated, however have been increasingly captured by modern technology. The greyscale colouring of the images also attributes to the blurring between the young and old in these portraits.
The sound clip that accompanies the portraits bring them to life through audible laughter and adds a layer of depth to the project. The audio was derived from a wide range of sources and compiled together into a continuous stream which blends all the different voices. I converted several Youtube videos into audio files and cut them at specific times to maximise my intended effect. I had the most difficulty in editing them together because I didn’t know how to layer and merge audio clips past basically cutting and pasting them together. To overcome this, I worked in collaboration with someone who was familiar with music remixing. These sound clips feature a mix of personalities and voices of different ages to showcase how these moments of candid laughter can connect people of all ages. It further showcases the shared space between the binary opposites of young and old.
Overall, I chose to disregard any presumptions and associations with the binary opposites of ‘young’ and ‘old’ and instead focus on a middle ground- an experience that brings people of all ages together. This project showcases the spontaneous moments of laughter, shock, hilarity, that bring people together.
Clip’wreck 2017, ‘Contagious laughter compilation’ on Youtube, accessed 14 September 2018, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7rJpRqK-8E&t=95s>
BruBearBaby 2011, ‘Baby laughing hysterically at ripping paper (original)’ on Youtube, accessed 14 September 2018, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RP4abiHdQpc>
Fleming, C 2010, ‘Kelly laughing hysterically’ on Youtube, accessed 14 September 2018, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIiVgTb8LTY>
Pinterest, ADAD 2018, accessed 5 September 2018, <https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/568720259191601676/>
Pinterest, ADAD 2018, accessed 5 September 2018, <https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/568720259191542797/>
Pinterest, ADAD 2018, accessed 7 September 2018, <https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/AcNNnQbDEkJ38WrxlI73QSfWKlNirtrBiXhzt86myOdO7i4UlRQx90g/>
Pinterest, ADAD 2018, accessed 9 September 2018, <https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/568720259191587833/>
Pinterest, Inspo 2018, accessed 9 September 2018, <https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/568720259179454652/>
Pinterest, Inspo 2018, accessed 10 September 2018, <https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/568720259182475601/>
Pinterest, ADAD 2018, accessed 31 August 2018, <https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/568720259191528867/>
Pinterest, ADAD 2018, accessed 31 August 2018, <https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/568720259191528346/>
Pinterest, ADAD 2018, accessed 31 August 2018, <https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/568720259191528705/>