We thought we’d go to the beach. We thought we’d go the park. We thought we’d stay in and watch a movie. I wasn’t there. I was there to watch. The tears in the wallpaper. The tears ripping through our home. “Lost in Translation”? “Veto”. “Brighton”? “Veto”. (We) crossed the landing. I followed silently.

I left. I went to the park. I escaped. I’m alone now. She’s alone now. It’s okay though. I will be there by her side. Alone. While she sleeps. She’ll find someone. Somewhere. She will be loved. They will be happy. They will go to the beach. They will watch a film. “Brighton”? “Ok”! “Lost in Translation”? “Great”!

I will hold guardian. I will let go. I will travel to my places. Exploring what there is left to be explored. I will wander silently. I will.

Stephen

turnockstephen.wordpress.com

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Critiques

Aaron: I love what you’ve written, the details are evocative and the emotion fills the space you’ve suggested. I think the photos are a good attempt at illustrating the idea, though I wish every one had one or the other character full exposed, with the other sort of gesturally expressing the emotion. The bed scene does this most clearly, though the movement and angle in the door scene also works well.

Amanda: Wow. When you first showed me your set in New York City, I liked the direction you were going in, but it’s amazing seeing the final product pulled together. One thing I particularly like about your project is that the photos stand by themselves very strongly, but the artist’s statement adds a complex level to it that I truly enjoy. It’s cryptic, it’s bizarre, but it tells a story and accomplishes exactly what the goal was to begin with. In my opinion, the first photo is the most successful – the angle is just right and gives the viewer the impression of stealthily watching a scene unfold without being present or interrupting. It also seems like there are two characters, but not in a blatant way. The second photo is successful in terms of being cryptic, but the angle seems unnatural for a viewer. The third photo’s black and white coloring sets it apart – I would have preferred for more muted colors rather than no colors at all. Overall, really enjoyed the set and the direction you took it!

Beatrice: A very interesting set of photos and description. I can’t say I know exactly what your series is depicting, but it does a great job of conveying loneliness, sadness, and a bit of eeriness. My favorite photo is the last one – it could be a still from an old film. Though as a series, I think the last photo is a little out of place stylistically compared to the previous two photos. In the first photo, I would try to not include the blurry ledge that the camera was placed on. I feel like it’s just blocking what I’m trying to see. But I do love that harsh blue in the first photo – it reminds me of that time of day after the sun sets, but is not quite dark yet.

Fernando: Ok, so your project for me is one of those that I don’t quite understand well, but it makes me ‘feel’. Your pictures summed to your statement are a powerful combination that easily becomes emotionally charged and thus impactful for the viewer. I have absolutely no suggestions on how to make your project stronger, I just love it.

Mary: This is a really intriguing set of photos, and an even more interesting description. Maybe you should consider captioning your images separate from your Artist Statement. I think it could add some punch to the photos and some clarity to the description. That way you can talk about the series in a bit less poetic/metaphoric manner without having to lose the writing that you’ve done to accompany these. The one black and white photo feels out of place. When you’re creating a series like this, I think it would help to have the same style throughout, especially with something where there’s location changes.