Action Photos, 2014 combines the language of image editing software with off the shelf digital environments made for the female body.
This series consists of images crafted from digital files, designed to emulate the appearance of traditional studio photographs. I bought them because they were cheap and poorly put together, and spoke to me of a desire of wanting to appear attractive and of having access to glamorous locations at an affordable level. These virtual images offer opulent interiors, often featuring an unoccupied chair, sofa, or chaise longue.
Within the digital image file, I created a new layer and constructed a body from text. This textual content is extracted from a Photoshop Action, a potent tool in Adobe Photoshop enabling users to automate repetitive image editing tasks by recording and implementing a sequence of commands through a single click. They come in various styles and functionalities. Some actions are designed for specific purposes, such as creating a vintage effect, and there are actions aimed at ‘enhancing’ the overall appearance of the subject such as skin retouching, teeth whitening, eye and lip enhancing, and contouring and highlighting. On a separate layer I modified the image of the chair or seat, to give it the impression that it was being sat on, that the text had weight.
The title Action Photos refers both to the technological process that has inspired it, but also to action painting. Action painting is generally associated with masculinity, being active, the gestural body, an event, a dialogue between the artist and canvas. I found pleasure in this contrasting concept, recognising that my images were devoid of 'action.’ It occurred to me that for women to sit in the chair, they would need to contort their bodies and envision a virtual chair, placing themselves in an imaginative, futuristic realm that could only be accessed by remaining still, by being cut and pasted. This image presents the starting point of my research inquiry, of wanting to be present, but seen on my own terms. However, these terms are not my own, and identity is not rigid. If the action code is transcribed from the image of the person and ran in Photoshop it will instruct the image to change.
Exhibited as prints face mounted on acrylic (Print sizes vary from 5x4in - 16x20in)