Pleasant Substitutions, Digital Photography
Pleasant Substitutions, Digital Photography
Pleasant Substitutions, Digital Photography
Pleasant Substitutions, Digital Photography
Pleasant Substitutions, Digital Photography
Artist Statement
‘Pleasant Substitutions’ is a collection of 5 digital photographs with monsters digitally painted into them. The photos themselves have a creepy and dark atmosphere, and the monsters don’t completely blend in. Children, especially those that are particularly anxious, are most afraid of monsters rather as a way to cope with bigger, harder to understand concepts. It’s easier to deal with if what you are afraid of is something concrete and defeatable rather than the more real dangers that can’t be dealt with that easily. While many tend to outgrow the need for that coping mechanism, others don’t. This continued need for control over overwhelming fear can develop into a deep fascination with horror media. It’s like practicing dealing with fear in a way that is safe, and able to be walked away from at any time.
Each of the monsters is a conglomeration of real fears that I have and imagery from horror media that are meaningful to me. In a strange way the aesthetics of liminal spaces, cursed photos, horror games and movies have become familiar and comforting to me. Fears of stranger danger, disease, stalking, deceit, and all manner of social rejection become lanky monsters with misplaced eyes and teeth. They take on the guise of fears I have already practiced dealing with, in turn making them easier for me to confront and control.
