Assignment 4 - After the Show

The picture here actually has two meanings, it plays in two areas and I will cover both of them in a hopefully systematic way.

Firstly, technicalities, the idea of lens versus the eye. I had shot this entire picture using a macro lens, in order to get the finer details in each of the objects. Furthermore, this was supposed to highlight the difference between a lens and an eye, we can see and focus on everything, whilst on a lens, there is always a considerable blurring of images and background (under low apertures of course).

The other are of play was the use of elements that made the montage look surrealistic. The cropped fork, the giant coin, the floating note. Those elements were supposed to give the audience the idea that they were montaged in (or cropped). But the suprise is that in actual fact, all these supposedly impossible (yet subtle - ala Renee Magritte), are actually POSSIBLE in real life.

The other bit was the idea of meaning. The piece entitiled After the Show (in accordance to the theme 'the day after') was talking about the transition between a show and the harsh realities of the world.

The first thing one will notice is the apprently coolness of the picture, I shot the picture with a graet deal of blues, whites, greys and greens. The cool effect is supposed to exemplify the harsh reality of the world.

The only speck of warmness from the wood panel at the side is an abstract meaning about the glitz of showbiz being only a fraction of the world (majority being cold and harsh).

The chair is angled in such a way that it shows a person leaving his seat so what the viewer sees is the performers table 'in action'.

The book on the table represents knowledge that does not enter.

The fork bent represents a stretched and severed state of physical being.

The coin represents big money from performing.

Yet the floating note (dollar notes are worth more than coins) represents even more money flying away. Combined with above it notes the struggle to survive.

Yet the hanging sword on the wall denotes the will to fight. But its tied up in string, emotional strings so to say.

The window grills represent a sort of prison, and gives the feeling of entrapment.

The house outside has a window which is shut, once again reinforcing this idea of worldly harshness.

The cards are ruffled up a little to add to the idea that things are left in a mess.

There is a tub of wax on the table. Most people do not know what it is. Many assume it to be food - this is to play on the idea of wax food and that perhaps the show persons intake is not truly nourishing to himself.

The thing I like most is the brokeness of the picture itself - from afar, it looks fine and only when one comes in a sees the cracks and displacements does one notice how broken a person is.

That should be it, overall...
Concept - is deep but a little hard to tell
Photo - didn't quite understand the meaning of montage

Overall: 80

I also really liked Ivy's picture, I think it really grapsed the idea of a montage 90/100
Celeste also had a nice view of CHIJMES only thing is that the picture was a little too yellow for my taste 85/100