The Homogenization of Experiences & Distilling of Memories
Photo and the Ineffable: Spirit
(Canon EOS 5 - DSLR, Adobe Photoshop)
(Canon EOS 5 - DSLR, Adobe Photoshop)
We were prompted with creating a set of images correlated with this idea of spirit through the lense of an object, placing emotion and meaning through a more unexpected source. I wanted to tell a narrative through cake and the subsequent smashing of said cake. There is this new way of quantifying memories that boils down to documenting experiences on social media and equating the worth of that experience with the attention it receives on social media, rather than taking in the moment and living in it as a present occasion. I wanted to showcase this concept of a birthday and this simple yet aesthetically pleasing cake, that has been making the rounds in Gen-Z as minimalism is now back in style, and show it being documented on phones. The same moment being taken by every single person as if it’s going to look better for someone else or present better on someone else’s Instagram versus the other, even though the same photo is being taken, and then smash this image and concept; literally. The process was cathartic and rewarding, but honestly just really fun for me to accomplish. I also kept them all in square constraints to mimic the social media system of cropping we are so used to.
