Date of Submission

Spring 2015

Academic Programs and Concentrations

Photography

Project Advisor 1

Barbara Ess

Abstract/Artist's Statement

Satisfying the Goat and the Cauliflower: A Collision of Things

By Sophie Louise Braziunas

My work explores photography’s ability to disorient and create narratives that may or may not be true. Things are not always what they seem to be; unexpected juxtapositions of things can shift relationships, undermine expectations, and end up turning the world upside down. Viewers might need to take a second look to understand what is going on in an image. Alternate realities can be formed by perceptual shifts of objects and vantage points, closings gaps between the apparent and the real.

I’m interested in things. By colliding materials, objects or different planes, slippage occurs, new realties are suggested. The visual collisions make me laugh. There are glimpses of the world outside of the frame, and we have the impression that things aren’t as solid as we thought. And decay is all around. I take note of the refuse that piles up and imagine the future this accumulation brings.

Fabricated synthetic objects consume our attention and pull us away from the natural that we imitate. We bring the “natural” world into our artificial one. We impersonate nature in our ornamentation and in our cityscapes, and we bring it indoors. Instead of planting a garden, we embroider foliage into our living room carpet. Instead of going to a forest, we plant trees to line our city streets. And even in a “wild” landscape, a lamppost can be found.

I like to confuse the viewer and create false relationships. I play with scale, which again created perceptual illusions. A small image of a vast landscape can look miniature. Some photos printed almost life size can produce a sense of spatial disorientation and the impression that we are IN the image. The mirrors and mirror images I use here are another way of playing with space. You see the space that you and the mirror inhabit and then a different version of that space reflected on the mirror: a portal to another dimension?

The “balloon video” is about creating a space that makes us feel uncomfortable. It’s about exploring the boundaries the physical can take.

The “instructional video” explores the gallery using a mirror and is accompanied by an actual mirror. The viewer is invited to also travel around the gallery and experience it via reflection. The mirror offers an alternate space that the participant can get lost in. You are in front of a wall but get to see the area behind you; you can say hello to someone who’s on the other side of the room, and you can walk on the ceiling.

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On-Campus only

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