# data[].attributes.body
Final

# data[].attributes.headline
"Left in the Shadows" Artist's statement

# data[].attributes.subject
"Left in the Shadows" Artist's statement

# data[].attributes.body
Photography; shadows, wire, photo-shop.
Our aim as a group was to explore how human civilisations have developed through time, specifically in how we have developed in our interactions between different groups- whether the difference is ethnic, cultural, economic or traditional. The photographs depict wire-frame figures casting full shadows onto the wall behind them. These figures represent an outward, contemporary image of co-operation, equality and progress; however, the substance of our present is our history, and the shadows of our past are still able to be seen whenever we hold ourselves up to the light. In an effort to encourage progress we often ignore the size of the problems that still remain. Instead of true transparency, they are left in the shadows.

# data[].attributes.body
"Everything That We See is a Shadow Cast by That Which We Do Not See."
-- MLK Jr.

# data[].attributes.body
After adding the three shadows in front of the wall, the opacity was reduced to 70% to have a more realistic impression of a shadow. The edited wire person was placed in the centre, with a horizontally reflected version alongside it.

# data[].attributes.body
The wall background had some minor details that required retouching, such as bolts and larger scratches. We also chose to have this image in greyscale.

# data[].attributes.body
Image before photoshop. After importing this image into photoshop, the white background was removed to create a hollow figure with transparent background to layer over the shadows.This image was also adjusted in camera raw to have lower exposure so as to deepen the colour and pronounce the figure.

# data[].attributes.body
The three shadows after having lighting levels adjusted, and after the sheet background was removed (100% opacity, no wire foreground and no wall background).

# data[].attributes.body
The shadow photos had their backgrounds removed and the blacks, whites, shadows and highlights and exposure all set to the darkest in camera raw.

# data[].attributes.body
Robert-Ortis, Matthieu. 2017. Matthieu Robert-Ortis. May 7th, 2018.

http://cargocollective.com/matthieu-robert-ortis

Gomes, Alex. 2014, “Shadow Play: 10 Artists Who Manipulate Shadows as Their Medium”, May 23rd, 2018

http://greenlabel.com/shadow-play-10-artists-who-manipulate-shadows-as-their-medium

# data[].attributes.body
Power, privilege.

# data[].attributes.body
Oppression, abuse.

# data[].attributes.body
Segregation, poverty.

# data[].attributes.body
We chose to experiment with photographing the hands from different angles, with different backgrounds

# data[].attributes.body
Shadow artwork... 2% battery?

# data[].attributes.body
Materials:
Sheet
Rope thing
Pegs
Torch
Wire figures (Hector and Achilles :)
Big shadow props (top hat, 'cigar', etc)
Camera & tripod
Dark room
Snacks (whoops did I write that?)

# data[].attributes.body
We attempted creating shadows

# data[].attributes.body
Using wall, human figure, shadows and projectors

# data[].attributes.body
The wire hands are twisted wire in the general shape of two hands- one is lighter wire and the other is dark copper wire. Both are frames- able to be seen through but also cast shadows. They can be positioned reaching toward each other on a flat surface or hypothetically, suspended together in the air.

The wires are contrasting colours- both representing humanity or human work, but from different sides of the world. Following the wire structure with ones eyes gives the impression of movement and continuity, bringing to mind man's continual development through time and space. The amount of space within the wire forms reminds the viewer of bones in the hand- both hands have the same basic structure. The hands also create meaning based on their position- reaching out to each other represents helping, good intentions and creation (think Sistine Chapel). Entwined they can represent connection, relationships and mutual impact. Casting our shadows through the hands help give them shape and create the illusion of a greater number of hands within the artwork.

# data[].attributes.body
I don't have a photoshop or anything similar on my lappy so just made this very dodge video that has most the pics I took

# data[].attributes.body
I just made this in adobe illustrator no big deal

# data[].attributes.body
1. Evolution of civilisation- simultaneous and developing civilisations on the African and European continents (or African/western civilisation) similarities, contrasts and interactions. Representing the important events, values and/or symbols of successive eras.

2. The development of society around issues such as racism, classism, and persisting terrible conditions in 'third-world' countries in contrast to their 'first world' counterparts.

# data[].attributes.body
Jacob has suggested creating a progressive artwork made of wire. One that when you move to various sides and angles the image changes hence physical and literal progression. However, for Thursday's class we will aim to have freeze frames as part of a photo story

# data[].attributes.body
- Include time travel
- performance ?
- freeze frame- photo series
- clothes line (metaphoric timeline) with hung elements of tradition and how it changes
- multiple clothes lines (past and present
- Solar system (all the stars!!) planets representing different things?? or made in different materials.
- Time travel/movement/difference in time/mysterious connection: wormhole
- The gods in MV or a Western/African gods creating their world eg Ra and Jupiter

# data[].attributes.body
Tradition is it still within our society. How has it changed and what has changed it?

How would we create our own universe?

How does the Western Civilisation communicate/mirror/differentiate from the African continent?

"All the stars are closer"- is it about or development and progress or about the influences of our past?
Progression by learning from the past.

Isabella suggested an Interview, like a scientist talking about his invention.
Photo series, documenting the social class system. Modern interpretation of "the noble savage," with reference to Western culture.

# data[].attributes.body
In the FB chat Nat suggested the really interesting concept of tradition! It'd be cool to amalgamate Jacob's suggestion about juxtaposition into that as well.
I also wanna share some of my own thoughts on the video real quick, nothing special but nice to record our thinking somewhere we can all access it and hopefully get inspired further.
I love the Afrofuturism within the video, and I think it is interesting to note that this particular work is considered to be "an Afrofuturistic voyage back to [African] roots." So it looks at exploring tradition as a voyage, journeying back in retrospective from a near-future (ish) standpoint. Towards the end (approx. 3 mins onwards) the stylised aesthetics combine African imagery and geometric forms, with occasional use of the colour gold, which I personally love because it employs somewhat similar elements of the gold-leaf in Gustav Klimt's Art-Nouveau paintings, while also using African tribal motifs and symbols. I think we can  look at racism/ representation of POC as a subcategory of tradition because that is a major theme of work we're looking at.
Sincerely,
Isabella Catenaro

# data[].attributes.body
Social, cultural, and religious
- power dynamics
- privilege and historical interaction ("and calculated promises in all your conversation")
-> conflict
- responsibility
- tradition (MV- clothing, aesthetic, neo-African representation and third world situation)
- truth ("you can't bring the truth to me")
- moral code ("I did it all 'cause it feel good/You'd leave it all if it feel bad")
- gender-stereotypes

# data[].attributes.body
- movieverse (character influence):
- responsibility
- strategy
- conflict ("Tell me what you gon' do to me/Confrontation ain't nothin' new to me/You can bring a bullet, bring a sword, bring a morgue")
- connection to history and generations past ("All the stars are closer") (meeting the black panthers, bowing to tradition over innovation/exposure)

# data[].attributes.body
"Corrupt a man's heart with a gift- That's how you find out who you dealin' with"

(Genius lyrics contribution)
https://genius.com/Kendrick-lamar-and-sza-all-the-stars-lyrics
"This is a reference to the story of Adam and Eve in The Bible, which explains man’s original sin. Eve gave Adam, a man, the gift of an apple from the tree of knowledge, that corrupted them both and resulted in their expulsion from the garden of Eden, but it was really the fault of the serpent who originally tricked Eve into eating the apple." (Completely Catholic interpretation, by the way)
Similarly, we could look at
Pandora's Box: a woman given responsibility for something the gods knew she couldn't handle and then punished for it.
Or, Paris and Helen of Troy: Paris was offered power, wealth, wisdom and the most beautiful woman in the world by three goddesses who wanted him to pick who was the most beautiful. The natural outcome of picking a winner was to succumb to a bribe and alienate the other two.
Another story would be King Midas: he was offered the gift of a wish, but greedily decided his wish would be for everything he touched to turn to gold- which resulted in his family being turned into metal statues and an inability to eat or drink.

# data[].attributes.body
Music video: Film and visual art.
Depicts an illustration of the general context- African culture. Clothing, scenery, class differences, religious references, aesthetic and artistic style.

Lyrics: Writing and music.
From the POV of the artists involved
Introduces a specific context (personal experience) and relates it to the general context (Black Panther- intercultural relations, power dynamics, characters)

Music: Let's not.