What My Mama Hates: Mirroring Laura Letinksy
In hopes of mirroring Laura Letinsky, the
master of tension and discomfort, I have chosen a theme intended to frustrate
my audience. The ideal photo I’m modeling off of is Letinsky’s Untitled, #23
(of her Hardly More Than Ever series) where the dishes feel seconds away from
crashing to the floor. I’m similarly trying to instill the feeling of unease
within my viewers; to want to reach into the picture and fix it. “What My Mama Hates” came from brainstorming
about ideas that make people uncomfortable. Pet peeves became an umbrella and I
started thinking about certain actions or inactions that bug my mom. I started
to realize her pet peeves are my own: she, through numerous scolds, has passed
down her neuroses to me. So the focus of the project isn’t necessarily ‘my mom’
but more about ‘me’ or ‘I’ as a viewer: who, why, and what makes this photo
uncomfortable. My mom’s pet peeves include (but are not limited to): running
the water while doing dishes, leaving dirty napkins and dishes out, leaving the
fridge open too long, slurping soup, chewing in her ear (although you may be
across the room from her), and leaving an empty roll of toilet paper for the
next person. I believe that many people can relate to these peeves and will
therefore feel discomfort.
Letinsky’s
still-lifes, while they may at first seem chaotic, are actually very
‘clinical’. They often show a sort of truth, a perspective on reality, for the
audience to contemplate. I hope to incorporate these characteristics within my
own work, creating ‘as is’ still-lifes. My photographs are of everyday objects
(that happen to make our lives frustrating) portrayed as they are, but to be
seen in a different light. You can’t always see past the end of your nose until
you take a picture of it.
All of these photos are absolutely beautiful. My favorite thing about them is your color choice. It represents them in such a raw way and makes them extremely interesting to look at. The theme of the portfolio also brings humor to them and I love that. My favorite one is definitely the one with the plate. The symmetry and color is gorgeous but it's almost hard to look at just because it's so...gross haha. You captured the theme of pet peeves really well and your photos are amazing!
ReplyDeleteYay Georgia!! I am really proud (yes I said it) proud that you took such a stance on this project. To me the content of what you tried to capture was different (in my opinion) from your norm. This could be totally off but I feel that you tried to do something different and I think you did an outstanding job. The clinical aspect I feel you really did a good job of. The pictures are of funny things that do not feel staged but are presented just the way they are. I see what you were going for with wanting the viewer to have a desire to change something but for me the only thing I want to change is my face hahaha. I think they are really beautiful pictures and as a whole they work very well. I like your work better than Laura's. I feel that yours are more natural and personal than hers and I think that is what makes your work so strong.
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