Abstract
This thesis examines the aesthetics of so-called negative feelings and sites of subjective discomfort. I am interested in the possibilities for the medium of photography to respond to bodily conditions of anxiety, depression, or traumatic stress through images, which represent or re-present, the experience of emotions and feelings. I use the camera and the photograph, in addition to text, sound, video, and interactive installation to give language to those things for which I do not have words.
Living with the camera and working in my domestic space allows me to confront the pain of memory. By working within the traditions of large format photography, I am required to sit with a space for an extended period of time. I reference the material, color, and light of pre-trauma nostalgia as they imbue my post-trauma experience. I sew my camera to the wall, and utilize bokeh and shallow depth of field to emulate experiences like crying or non-verbal states of being.
I am interested in conversations about mental health as they occur within academic institutions as well as on social media. I believe that memoir(s) of contemporary mental health play a critical role in understanding our collective cultural body. Theory from disciplines outside of the arts – Anthropology, Psychology, Psychiatry, and Trauma Studies – allow me to think about the medical body, the abused body, the body that has endured childhood sexual abuse, rape, and other forms of bodily trauma. I am obligated to think about the credibility of memory, as scientific studies on the physiology of the traumatized brain do not support the reality of the fragmented experience.
My practice focuses on developing safe spaces to share visceral experiences and foster consent with the viewer as they look at, listen to, and read the history of my body.
Committee Chair
Heather Bennett
Committee Members
Heather Bennett
Degree
Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Visual Art
Author's Department
Graduate School of Art
Document Type
Thesis
Date of Award
Spring 5-15-2015
Language
English (en)
Recommended Citation
Hale, Carling, "Some of these are not images" (2015). Graduate School of Art Theses. ETD 38.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.7936/K77942WH
Included in
Interdisciplinary Arts and Media Commons, Mental Disorders Commons, Other Mental and Social Health Commons, Photography Commons, Psychiatric and Mental Health Commons, Trauma Commons
Comments
Permanent URL: https://doi.org/10.7936/K77942WH