Final Assignment: Spectrum

Here are the new version. This series of conceptual pictures are, in my opinion, better than the first few batches. This is because more work is involved in giving the pictures more depth.

Basically the concept is still the same.

The theme ‘Looking into the Ordinary’ allows me to pick out the most mundane things in life and create a series of pictures. After much attempts, my idea has evolved into this set of pictures. Using light and colours to depict emotions in different settings, it showed the most mundane of our lives, living.

Basically this series of pictures are to show that under normal circumstances, we are like the normal beam of white light. However, when we encounter different situations, we will be expected to act differently and appropriately. However sometimes, our emotions go beyond our control and we are overwhelmed by it.

Like a light beam entering a prism, a spectrum of colours is formed. Hence using the metaphor of a rainbow, the seven different colours depict different situations in which we might encounter and the emotions we might have in these environments.

Light: This first picture shows us in our purest form.

Red: Symbolically, red is often attached to anger or passion. In this series, the colour red depict the social setting we are in. When people around us are too passionate or too obsessive, they enact pressure on us and these pressures, if not handled properly, are frustrating, hence leaving us agitated.

Orange: Sometimes we do not fathom the social environment we are involved in. There are too many things in the world for us to know. The world is ever changing and these changes are sometimes too fast for simple comprehension, thus leaving us in bewilderment. On the other hand, these changes might also lead us to question our social environment. Have we evolved or change for the better, or have we regressed as human beings? There are many unsolved questions in life, it is often we as individuals, can get too lost in them.

Yellow: However, not all social environments are negative. There are some social settings whereby we are comfortable in and this lets us lower our inhibitions and be who we are. This outlet of all the pent up frustration allows us to relax and regain control of our emotions.

Green: Green is usually significant of envy. But rather than depicting envy, this picture is in fact showing how sometimes, the social setting we are in, makes one act out of his nature. We are constantly reminded of the moral right and wrongs, however, occasionally, the daredevil in every one of us would like to rebel and act out. We might regret after our actions but we more than often cannot control it and this is what this picture represents.

Blue: Being ‘blue’, is sometimes more than being sad. One might be feeling moody and no where sociable. Hence this particular shade of blue was chosen. The lack in vibrancy depicts the lack of social activity and the pose of the model depicts the attitude of moodiness directed to everybody else.

Indigo: Our social settings on some occasions scare us. We are sometimes afraid to step out of our comfort zone and the unknown frightens us. We would then view the environment as dark and haunting and wish to have no part of it. However, when we do take the first step, sometimes it is more rewarding and eventful than our comfort zones. Therefore one should take risks while being cautious.

Violet: No one is perfect. However the social standards are overtly exaggerated and our flaws are sometimes magnified. This internal struggle to conceal our insecurities is found in everyone, and sometimes it is the social environments we are in that makes us doubt who ourselves. This colour, violet or more commonly known as purple is closely associated with royalty, and it is this in which I wish to depict insecurities. Everyone, including the rich and famous, is inflicted with self-doubt. We tend to shy away from the crowd and hide behind other material objects.

Dark: Last but not least, the final picture depicts the loss of self identity. Like a beam of light, we might sometimes be overwhelmed by the darkness surrounding us. We would slowly lose our self identity and fade amongst the shadows.

This set of pictures is taken with the model standing at the bottom right of the picture because, this shows that we are only a small part of a bigger picture. We are not alone and our actions are interdependent on one another. The model’s clothes are also specifically chosen to be the same throughout because, this gives the idea that we, as an individual, are constant while adapting to the ever changing environment. We might lose control of our emotions but ultimately, we are who we are and that is important. A male model is also chosen because the society we are living in now is a masculine one. However this does not give the men advantageous benefits that women do not have. This series of pictures are to depict the fact that men are also subjected to the pressures of the masculine society as well.