91×ÔÅÄ

Uncomfortable Places

Artist's Statement:

By capturing something any viewer can relate to but making it different than what they typically see, it allowed the viewers to experience different emotions and memories that made my images more interesting to view. This process is called uncanny. Uncanny is when something familiar is perceived differently and leads the viewer to feel that is no longer familiar.  

Throughout my series of photographs, I altered spaces that were ubiquitous such as domestic settings, public schools, and gas stations. In doing so, I captured common places that have been made strange due to the way I have staged each setting. In doing so, my photographs acted as open-ended narratives that triggered different emotions and memories that resided in the viewers. 

As I altered these spaces that I interacted with weekly, I found myself questioning are these the same spaces that I was originally familiar with. I also found myself wondering if the places were safe anymore. With my thesis, I wanted to create a series that anyone could relate to as well as still capture something interesting that made the viewer’s mind wander. I wanted to bring attention to how spaces you are typically comfortable in can be altered to make you feel unsafe in these locations. My series will make its viewers wonder if these spaces are safe anymore and possibly cause them to wonder if the space is the same from its memories.

Shed

Attic

Dayroom

Backyard

Bathroom

Room

Patio

Stairway

Trash

Pool

Computer Lab

Home

Store

House

Classroom

Garden

Grill

Mailbox

Library

Garage