October 26, 2019

Backstory

Typically when we think of visual art, we think of colors, lines, shapes — a play of light. With this project, however, I wondered, “Could I use shadows, the absence of light, as a medium to create visual art?”

In the brainstorming stage of the project, I videotaped little experiments where I played with the motion of shadows against a textured surface. This got me thinking about movement, particularly sundials, and the movement of shadows throughout the day. Eventually those thoughts and experiments converged into the final project you see above, where the shadow slinks and stretches to animate a face.

I really enjoy paper’s flexibility. Sometimes simple materials give you a wider range of expression.