Project proposal

1.              I am going to explore the fear and experiences of impaired visual perception through means of photography. I am interested in the evolution of this project during this quarter and where it will take me; but I am first going to depict my personal experience and fear of continued lost vision. I am going to construct scenes and depict images of my vision through topical distortions. I will photograph my subject or staged scene and then distort the scene through my cameras lens to focus on how I see not only without corrective lens, but also how I image blindness would be and the effect it would have on me.

I want this to incorporate other senses that I would lean on such as touch, and the texture of objects, as well as the psychological experience it may have such as feeling trapped or lost. This concept originates from my personal experience of poor vision growing up and my codependence on stronger corrective lens over the years. I am motivated to explore this project to give sight to my audience on the visual strain I have; the ultimate goal of this idea is to allow my audience to visually experience my perspective, and my fear, and my reality. This is important for me to produce because it is a daily and vital function of the body that diminishes over time and many, including myself lack.

2.                 I am looking at the neoclassical painting era. Artists such as Jacques Louis David inspire me because his work and the movement consisted of sharp outlines, reserved emotions, deliberate compositions, and cool colors.  The sharp outlines and lighting within many of the scenes remind me of my technical aspect that I cater to when I shoot. I would like to mock some of his prior works, through environment and lighting styles creating my own scenes.

I have also been viewing the paintings of the Miaz brothers, who use acrylic creating blurred, abstract portraits. These paintings are inspiring to me because even though they are paintings they have a duality to them that read as a photographic portrait. They also remind me of the sublime paintings of Barnett Newman and Mark Rothko.  Jonathan May’s documentary photographic works with blind children in Africa have also inspired me. I am intrigued how he has been able to share these children’s deficit through second person imagery. But the main person that has inspired me to photograph my story, experience, and fears through vision is Mark Andres the program director of seeing with photography movement featured in the Shooting Blind book. He has put together a organization of artists who have compelling, heart filled, and playful imagery on their first person perspective of what it is like to be visually impaired. I want to continue to research the movement of art programs for the visually impaired because it is an important movement to give those without the blessing of communication through sight thus giving us with sight the ability to learn and understand a greater reality.

3.              The starting equipment for this project will consist of digital camera, experimental distortion tools to be placed over the camera lens, models, and photoshop after effects and digital manipulation. Technically I will be using profoto, elechrom, and speed light, flashlight, and alternate light sources dependent on the subject and scene.

4.              My goal for the completion of this project would be 7 sets of 2 images printed at 12X18 or larger, they will be presented lined up with the in sharp image accompanied by the blurred images rendered to my depictions of the idea. I would also like to look into presenting them with different lens/glass of distortion degrees laid on top of them when appropriate.

Inspiration shot for how to dipect what i see and my fear: