WIP Critique #2

• What was/is the initial idea, how is it evolving?
•  The initial idea that I proposed considered examining the cultural and linguistic differences that distinguish and compose the world's cultures, and how they affect the way we perceive things and our relationships to one another. In my more recent photographs, I am starting to focus more closely on perception and perspective, and the way our interpretations determine how we understand the 'unusual,' or what is culturally ambiguous. I attempted to reference how distant and foreign other cultures can seem like to one individual through the images with mirrors. However, in examining and producing my photos, I also started to realize that the incorporation of mirrors to reflect something that is out of frame references our ability to create 'parallel worlds' through our artwork. 

• Why do you feel the images you selected to print for this critique are your strongest, from among the group of new images? (i.e., what was your criteria for selection)
• I think the images I chose are my strongest because I believe they are the most visually interesting and impacting. Since I worked extensively with mirrors this time around, a lot of the images had imperfections that lessened the quality and broke the illusion I was attempting to achieve. I tried to display a diverse set of images in order to show the different ways that I am trying to visually convey my ideas. The adjustments I made to these photographs were meant to highlight their strangeness. For instance, I tried to accentuate the shadows as a way to make these photographs seem more 'otherworldly' and to highlight our perception of what is foreign as strange or intimidating.  

• What specific questions do you have about the work in terms of how someone other than yourself might interpret the imagery?
• How do you think these new images impact my main idea by themselves and in comparison with the previous set of pictures I showed? Do you think the latest ideas I am dealing with are better conveyed through these new images? What do you think are the strongest and weakest elements of the new photographs? Is the lack of focus on some elements distracting or appropriate? Do you think I should continue working with mirrors as a way to discuss the 'different worlds' of each culture, or should I focus more on the idea of the parallel worlds that we create as artists?