Emily Lint Photography Thesis Fall 2018

Abstract

<p>Allusion/Illusion is a room installation consisting of a multitude of mirrors and two projectors. From each projector, a five-minute progressive video loop of black and white photographs I created in the studio of mirror sculptures, are projected onto the walls. When these images are projected onto the mirror compositions placed throughout the room, they add an additional layer of fragmentation, aiding in the creation of a more dynamic and confusing optical illusion. These materials work together to disorient the viewers’ perception of self, space, time and reality by fragmenting themselves and the room surrounding them. Although the medium of photography is continuously evolving with new technologies, techniques and practices, one thing that has stayed consistent throughout its short 200 year history, is the underlying expectations for it to depict truth and reality. Due to the mechanical and scientific nature of the medium, artists have been continuously working in ways to either embrace or disrupt this promise of a ‘window onto the world’. Exploring the topics of truth, reality and photography’s ability to produce magic and illusion within an installation rather than the conventional two-dimensional print, allows for the experiential exploration of the essence of photography and the activation of the spectator’s presence within the space. Alongside the exploration of analog and digital technologies, I am experimenting with deconstructing the presumption that the camera is a faithful ‘mechanical eye.’</p>