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Presque Vu: A Junior Design Student Conceptual Project by Avery Tan (2018)

I am exploring the feeling of dissociation through the experience of seeing a familiar sight. There are three objects in my photograph: the chicken toy, the mirror, and a sheet of ice with a tin foil backing. The angle of the photo may cause the viewer to feel claustrophobic because of their proximity to the toy wedged tightly between the mirror and the ice sheet. The numerous reflections of the toy within the mirror and the ice sheet represent a disconnection between one and one’s perception of oneself. The chicken toy symbolizes a familiar sight as toys often are associated with the comforts of childhood. The jagged texture of the ice sheet introduces an element of danger and uncertainty. The blemish on the mirror that obstructs a perfect reflection of the toy exemplifies the doubt cast upon the toy as well as a tarnished perception of the toy. All of these elements combined give the viewer a great sense of dissociation.

I learned that Photoshop should be used to subtly enhance a photo; the viewer should not see a marked difference between the photo and the real world unless that was the artist’s intent. I used a few different tools in Adobe Photoshop to improve my photo while ensuring that it still looked realistic. I first cropped the image to the rule of thirds to emphasize the chicken toy and its reflection. I then adjusted the saturation of reds and of cyans to create tension, as well as curves so that there would be greater contrast between the darker and lighter areas. Lastly, I added a vignette so that the viewers’ eyes would be drawn towards the center of the photograph. By applying all of these changes, my concept statement is better relayed through the image. Related website
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