Description
For my final project, I want to make a series of images focusing on the use of color, shadows, and silhouette. I really enjoyed making the photographs for Project 1, and I absolutely loved the look of the first image, the silhouette of me illuminated by a green light. I also enjoyed working with the color gels, and I feel it can add a lot to this project. At the moment, I don’t know what the specific theme is, but I do know that I want to create a story through images, and I want all of the images to be interconnected. I want to emphasize the silhouette with unique shapes and angles. I’m thinking of dressing up my model in various outfits, some abstract and some practical, and taking photographs in the style of a shadow puppet play, where the figure is fully blacked out and the story is conveyed through the use of silhouettes. I want to show the model that I’m photographing transforming and morphing throughout the photo series, so the outfits will change as the “story” goes on. After learning about the use of color in Hollywood to convey emotion, I think I will go in a similar direction – utilizing the plethora of color gels that we have to give the image the feel of emotion. This will help contextualize the feel of the work without the use of movement or sound that a traditional movie would have. The project idea will change as I work on it, which, in my opinion, goes well with the theme of metamorphosis.
Outcomes
- Take a series of 24 (MAYBE) images, utilizing the studio
- Use a variety of color gels to convey the emotion
- Create a variety in the silhouettes through the use of costumes and props
Materials
- tripod
- camera
- lighting studio
- color gels
- several outfits (TBD)
- several props (TBD)
References
Karl Johnson is a paper cutting silhouette artist who creates amazing silhouettes from life in seconds. The way he’s able to look at a person and cut out an exact replica of their profile is amazing. I recommend looking at some videos of him working, it’s really mesmerizing.
Kara Walker creates intricate paper cutout puppets and turns them into artworks and short films. Her works are more caricature-like and focus on racial issues and social commentary. Through well designed silhouettes she’s able to tell a lot about a character without the use of movement or even color.
My last reference is less a person and more a form of art. Chinese shadow puppet plays are multi-man productions that tell mythical stories through paper puppets behind a silk screen with a light casting shadows onto the fabric. These puppets can get really intricate, and often live music accompanies these shows.
