UPDATE: This was initially posted in 2019 and has later been updated.
How Mental and Biological Disorders Affect The Brain was a three month project for my Individual Art Review course at NMU. The concept of this project is how when I look back at my own memories, they are unclear, distorted, or fading away. I started to have memory problems the previous semester, which influenced Memory and the 5 Approached I Took.
I created a rectilinear form out of wood, using a 45° angle, and adding small feet underneath to make the structure appear as if it were floating. I took a blowtorch and gently burned the surface on both the interior and exterior. Once that was done, I randomly screwed in painted black eyehooks. Each photograph is of a scene that I took from previous photography courses and developed in such a way that distorted the imagery. A variation of both overexposed and underexposed done with the enlarger. Once all photos were ready, I hand sewed on the border around each photograph. Some I ripped then sewed back together. I strung them all together with thicker black thread, using the eyehooks to create a web-like interior. Photos are being overlapped to hide a portion or a majority of the image. The back side of the structure is covered with a sheet of velum to block some of the lighting from the rear. A few photos were taken and ripped apart, scattering them on the bottom.
This project was the start of a style that I found relaxing to do even though it dealt with such a sensitive topic. Maybe that was why it was relaxing. I'm visually displaying what has been internalized. This was also the start of me realizing that I highly enjoy three dimensional sculpture photography. The next year or so, I spent time working out the kinks for my Senior Exhibition show.