Concept Development
24/04/2021
I would like to explore ambiguous/ interactive storytelling by attempting to challenge the conventional ways in which ambiguous/ interactive storytelling are visualised. As interactive storytelling is most commonly associated with video games and digital media, I have decided to create analogue/ physical work for my Story project. I feel that this could enable physical interaction between viewers and my work, which could enhance the experience of, and engagement with, the work for viewers.
I have decided to create a sequence of photographs which will explore the current times in which we are living, and the ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic has affected people’s relationship with, view of and connection to other people and the world outside of our homes. To do this, I would like to focus on the symbolism and various possible meanings of doors, as doors could symbolise either positive or negative meanings for each individual viewer; a door could represent a portal or a means of accessing, and therefore connecting with, other people and the outside world, or it may be viewed as a means of protecting ourselves from the threat of COVID-19 in current times, however, a door may, alternatively, represent an obstacle/ barrier which isolates us and prevents us from connecting with others and the world, or the sense of anxiety that COVID-19 has created for many people in relation to contact with others.
I would also like to include an ambiguous character in this visual sequence, who would not be recognisable as a specific individual, and who would add a sense of mystery to the piece, as their identity would not be known to the viewer.
I will incorporate the use of the door letter box camera obscura, which I created during my previous project, into this photographic sequence, as I feel that this will reflect the symbolism of the door, due to the fact that this camera obscura literally involves using a door in its process, and even acts as a door in some ways, as it transports an image of the outside world into an indoor setting. I also think that the unclear/ blurry effect which the camera obscura creates visually reflects the idea of ambiguous storytelling.
I, then, plan to use this photographic sequence to create an accordion photobook, as I feel that this would offer the opportunity to create a piece which does not have a single, definitive, fixed structure and which involves physical interaction between viewers and the book, as they could change the order in which the photographs are presented by folding the photobook in various ways. In this book, I would also like to enable viewers to physically remove photographs and rearrange the order in which the photographs appear in the book, thus further enabling viewers to adapt the narrative and meaning of the photobook to reflect their own personal life experiences, as they could choose which photographs are visible/ included in the sequence.
