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Uneasiness Through Speaking Up: A Junior Design Student Conceptual Project by Metis Malley (2015)

The objects in the photograph are a knife and a mask. The mask serves as protection. By speaking up and subjecting oneself to vulnerability, one allows people to penetrate the fragile shell of reputation. Judgement seeps through. Similarly, with exposure to the sun, wearing down the facade and battering up the perfection of the mask, it develops holes, stains, and loses its composure. When the mask is down is when life, or the knife, hits hardest. The knife symbolizes getting hurt, and, as a result, also portrays the feeling of uneasiness of dealing with something that can hurt. It is easier for the knife to penetrate the mask when holes start to show and the safety guard gives way. The choice of angle captured the knife thrusted into the mask best. Additionally, the leaves and branches in the background illustrate a forest that carries a scary aura and sense of isolation. To replicate the darkness of a forested area, in which people have trouble seeing their surroundings, the lighting was dimmed; this continues the theme of isolation. All of these elements contribute to the uneasiness depicted in the picture.

I adjusted the hue. As a result, the photo looks a little bit more blue than before. I added another layer. This layer has a gradient fill with a circle cut out in the center. I adjusted the opacity to the layer to 50%, so now the image has a vignette effect with dark edges. The scenery involving the mask, knife, and background come together to exemplify speaking up and facing uneasiness. The mask represents a person before showing their inner thoughts, in a blanket of protection which no one can see beneath. The knife portrays the result of speaking up and, essentially, voiding the mask's purpose by intentionally allowing vulnerability. In this way, the vulnerability creates a sense of uneasiness, making my photo exemplifies my Concept statement from English.
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