Thus far I have been updating my knowledge on the subject of comparison culture. I want to ensure that I know what I am talking about so I can properly explore the subject throughout my work. The TED talk by Bea Arthur was particularly inspiring for me. I have struggled with the idea of creating a final piece which is completely comparison free – which I now think is impossible.

The Ted talk introduced me to the idea of self-expression, the speaker highlighted the importance of alignment and following your own path in life. This week I want to investigate the idea of creating a ‘book’ – or something- which helps people find their own paths and filters out the noise of the internet. A sort of self care workbook which gives you activities to work through to find your direction without distractions. This would be a treasured piece of print media which the owner could refer back to as and when.

This idea is just at its first stages so it is important for me to bring the idea to my tutorial next week to discuss. I need to think how to involve my photoshoots and existing narratives as I think they would be relevant but need to be carefully implemented with caution not to be aspirational.

I find the synergy between digital and physical particularly interesting when investing in this method of image making. I show an appreciation for the production process by slowing it down. I think I have found the line between abstract and revealing context to create an interesting and eye catching narrative.

My ‘Doomscrolling’ scans, found in my sketchbook, reflect the confusion and noise which we face when overwhelmed and giving into comparison. The scans are warped by physical process and with no digital interference – other than the scanner. The most successful outcomes were those where the image’s context was clear but slightly distorted and reshaped as they make the viewer find the context themselves.

As I experiment and develop my work I find myself drawn to creating imagery with physical techniques rather than digital methods. I have been open to exploring new methods and returning to old techniques that I have previously worked with.

My ethos throughout this project is to stray away from the dangers of the internet where users can feel inadequate due to comparison. Therefore, creating physical imagery which have a craft aesthetic will suit this project.

This week I have enjoyed spending time creating lino prints and found a new love for craft. This helps me not to feel overwhelmed by the extensity of the internet and gives me time to enjoy creating with my hands. It made me realise that this is a form of self care which I am promoting throughout my project.

I will continue to invest in these techniques whilst researching similar aesthetics to draw inspiration from.

Today I decided to watch the film Black Swan, this film was recommended to me in one of our weekly tutorials. I wasn’t sure how relevant it would be for my project but hoped it would spark inspiration.

Immediately, it became apparent that this film was relatable as it is what some of my work is based off. The film looks at the behind the scenes training for the Swan Lake ballet. The main character is under immense pressure to be ‘perfect’ and as a result of that she becomes mentally ill. She compares herself to other ballerinas who previously played her role as she views them as perfect, coincidentally or not so, these characters also become mentally unwell. This shows comparison culture and its dangers which I discuss throughout my work.

Black Swan has given me insight into the emotion and radical action which women take to be ‘perfect’ after comparing themselves to others. It was interesting to view the perspective of the main character and visually see her illness unfold in her own mind. The ‘true’ perspective was also shown so the audience can see how extreme the main characters thoughts were. Thus clarifying the audience’s confusion and separating reality from mental illness.

The main characters confusion continues as she is unable to separate herself from the overwhelming comparison. This informs my work by contextualising my link to the performing arts industry and comparison culture.

As I have little first hand experience in the performing arts industry I decided to reach out to professionals to gain insight. Thus far I have speculated the hard work from behind the scenes in the industry but I have clue what exactly is involved. I want to hear first hand the struggles performers have faced and so I contacted professionals on Instagram.

Rauidrhi Maguire was the first to reply and I was pleased to see that his response was extremely detailed and therefore precious to inform my work. The full details of this interview are seen in my sketchbook.

Maguire is a male ballet dancer who pushes the boundaries of dance by reverting set stereotypes. He says ‘male dancers aren’t just there to look pretty’ and describes the hours of training which goes into his job. This is what drew me in to Maguire and meant I Messaged him over Instagram DM’s.

I have reached out to multiple professionals who bend traditional stereotypes within the industry and had no other responses. I am hoping to hear back from more people to develop my research.

Damien Roach is an artist and lecturer who works under various projects across fine art, design and creative direction, publishing, sound/ music and audio-visual. I was fortunate enough to join one of Roach’s lectures today where I found his words and visuals very inspiring.

It surprised me to see that Roach started his lecture with a picture of a worn ballet shoe. As previously discussed, this is something I have been exploring throughout my FMP, capturing the behind the scenes of the performing arts industry and how it looks so effortless. I aim to show the real story of the industry, Instagram has created platforms where users post their highlight reels and rarely show the real pictures of the lives. Or in other words, social media contributes to comparison culture.

Roach said the worn ballet shoe represents the physical traces of hard work. He says ballet is calculated, graceful movements which juxtaposes the hard work shown through his image of a damaged ballet shoe.

I have decided to include this in my work as I found his reference to process interesting. He was using the imagery to reflect the unseen hard work which goes into everything we do as creatives. Process and highlighting true life struggles is important to me when developing this project and I will carry through Roach’s way of thinking throughout.

Thus far my research has focussed on the dangers of social media and the instant sharing power of the internet. I found that in the digital age it is easy to take advantage of technology which does all the creating and publishing for us.

In a recent group tutorial we discussed the lost art of physical practices. I conveyed my interests of imperfect and unique imagery when the idea of creating a publication which did not feature digital editing arose. I had already removed the need of a digital camera in my disposables experiments so it seemed fitting to take this idea further.

I will look into the beauty of bespoke hand creation and explore the nature of taking time by filming my processes.

I am keen to focus on creating unique imagery which slows down the traditional polished publishing process. In my statement of intent I highlight how investing in imperfection is a key theme throughout my project, therefore I find it necessary to experiment and create imperfect imagery.

Imperfection is a response to my interests In abolishing comparison culture. Technological developments and social media has allowed for hundreds of filtered and posed images to become a part of our day to day lives. I wish to create eye catching narratives in my imagery where the audience take their time to fully analyse my work.

Moving forward I will continue my use of disposable cameras whilst developing the prints in unique ways. Therefore I need to discover and experiment different techniques which reflect my key themes.