The beauty in the shadow

Letters and light make a face

I found this work quite by accident- in the sense that I was ‘stumbling’ away (for those unfamiliar- stumbleupon is a site that encourages procrastination by transferring you to more and more unusual and interesting websites), and then BOOM, amazement.

How these images are achieved astonishes me, while raising a number of technical questions suited to a long trial and error approach-
1) How to decide what shape to make.
2) How to make this shape using objects.
3) Time, time and patience.
4) Angle and strength of lighting.
AND SO FORTH..

I was luckily enough to actually see shadow art in situ in Berlin’s Modern Art gallery. Here, toys and random clutter were assembled on a rotating assembly line which moved in front of several lights to form human figures. I was fascinated by this ‘out of the box’ creative thinking- the recycling of objects for a completely different purpose. Moreover, I love how interest lies in the silhouette and form of the shadow rather than the objects themselves, highlighting the essential beauty and intricacy behind light and shadows, as a piece of card or wire is transformed into something unexpected and exciting. The choice of using monochrome in these photos is therefore apt- emphasing the effective use of light even more.

Do I now long to drag out a light and start experimenting in the depths of my cupboard? YES.
Could I sit for hours fiddling with perspex letters to produce a realistic silhouette of a head? Somehow I think NOT.