OFF

Posted byEva WangPosted inInvestigation, OFF

Inspired by my recent ongoing experience, I feel that I’m defined by the other in a relationship. I feel I’m worthwhile when I feel I’m liked and worthless when I don’t feel liked. The other makes me feel my existence in the world, builds me up, breaks me up, lights me up, takes me to heaven or leaves me to hell within a second. It’s also influenced by Lacan’s theory I mentioned before:

This sense of self, and its relation to others and to Other, sets you up to take up a position in the Symbolic order, in language.

HTTPS://WWW.WEBPAGES.UIDAHO.EDU/~SFLORES/KLAGESLACAN.HTML

In my situation, it’s because I’m powerless. I’m not the domination of my own body/existence. This idea of “domination” is inspired by the book The Fold I mentioned before:

But since monads are taken in clusters only under a vinculum, corporal or composite substances require a broader definition that includes the dominant monad, of the first species, insofar as its requirement of having a body is effectively filled by the monads that it dominates.

The Fold

It reminded me of a conversation with that person before when he said that he’s magnet for love, and I thought I was only iron powder. This passivity also reminded me of my previous project FUTILITY where I objectified my body. I started to list more objects that relied on another thing to turn dynamically alive:

  • You’re current. I’m a lamp.
  • You’re wind. I’m a kite.
  • You’re a hanger. I’m clothes.
  • You’re batteries. I’m a clock.
  • You’re air. I’m a ballon.
  • You’re a player. I’m a tape.
  • You’re a charger. I’m a battery.
  • You’re a remote. I’m a TV.
  • You’re music. I’m a speaker.

I chose lamp, kite, clothes, clock and TV because it’s more practical for body to be part of. I had my flatmate to be the model as it’s almost impossible to do all of them myself.

Lamp

It reminded me of an experiment shot I did for FUTILITY before:

As the model was big so it didn’t look like a lamp. I don’t want to use a cover this time because I’m not trying to become an object or indicating I’m mentally absent, and I’m just showing that I am those objects.
https://www.cgtrader.com/3d-models/furniture/lamp/ikea-paper-lamp

Inspired by this lamp, I decided to use the metal wire panels I used for HOME to build a similar structure and put body inside to be a stand:

Couldn’t find rice paper rolls for the shade so I just used kitchen paper. And I wanted to put an unplugged cord to show it’s off because current was missing. Thought about whether the legs should be naked or in dark trousers. Decided them to be naked because the floor’s dark so dark trousers would not be very obvious.

Tried different flashlight setting, positions and angles.
Decided on a darker lighting, and portrait view in this position. Darker lighting feels more depressive. This position and angle looks better. I don’t have other lights so I couldn’t avoid the shadow.
Also tried living room setting. Still decided on the portrait view to emphasise the lamp.
Thought the body wouldn’t fit in this angle but it did.
Also tried bedroom setting but the living room looked better.

Clothes

Thinking of a photo I took for FUTILITY where I was buried in clothes with only my face shown. In this situation, I want to show parts of body to be mixed with other clothes. They’re lifeless without hangers to be hung up.

Tried different flashlight settings. Just found that the flashlight could turn left/right as well… There’s no room for tripod so it’s very difficult to get the right angle.

Clock

Was thinking about using numbers but saw a photo of just lines which looked nice and it’s easier to produce. And as I don’t want to show the model’s face to feel less human, her back would face the camera and it would make no difference to lines even if viewers would read the clock reversed. It can be interpreted reversed because it’s like I want the time to go back from 10:08pm which is the time when I got to know this relationship became different. I want to attach a movement to show there’s no battery.
Used a torch to get a circular light but it didn’t look good. Want to try the first two positions with/without feet.
Prefer the portrait view with the whole body captured. It’s very hard to get the lines level right somehow.

Kite

Tried the left dimension but was too small. And I think I could also stick the body to the kite to completely act as the bones. Plan to shoot it next to the window to show the contrast of the sky and the kite not flied.

TV

Want to borrow a 50” TV from school. Not sure if it can be held by hands though.

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