Mentor meeting #2 - Rachel, 14/02/18

Today I met with a different tutor from my assigned mentor, in order to gain some new perspective and different suggestions. I met with Rachel, and explained my idea to her. After talking about how I do not want to take a very abstract route, I felt like Rachel understood where I was coming from, and instead of trying to change my ideas, she simply added layers to them. She was concerned that my project idea is not very unique and has been done before. I did agree with her on this, and so we worked out what I could add or focus on to give me an edge. While she liked my photos, particularly the ones which depicted movement (something which I will take care to achieve in future shoots), Rachel suggested I focus a lot of my effort on to the installation itself, and less on the imagery within it. By making it interactive and incorporating the sense of touch, it adds a new aspect to the project; unlike previous art pieces that celebrate the human form, this one will invite its audience to actually interact with it. Rachel suggested I could print my photographs on to textured paper - perhaps bumpy paper, to replicate goosebumps, or rough paper, to mimic dry skin. This will mean my viewers can physically touch and experience what they are seeing. Another possibility, inspired by my drawings on top of photographs, is the use of acetate layered over images, upon which I can draw, and then my audience can lift and move the acetate to view the original image and the distorted one. A final idea we discussed was the use of mirrors. Rachel liked my thought of making the audience an active participant within the project: by catching glimpses of themselves in reflections, they will technically become models too, displayed alongside all of the photographed models, reinforcing the idea of equality and unity. 

I felt like today's meeting was very successful. I was beginning to feel unenthusiastic and demotivated about my project, but from discussing it and creating new ideas to experiment with, I now feel more excited again. I think it was a valuable decision to see a new tutor, as it provided me with alternate views and food for thought.