Responding to Florian Nicolle

These are my responses/ my own interpretations to Florian Nicole's work: 

I have responded to Florian Nicolle by scanning in some 'running ink' pieces I quickly created and then layering them in photoshop with my primary photographs. 

I first decided to experiment with very neutral/ black and white colours. 

And then I experimented with colour: 

When I was experimenting with my 'drip' pieces, I decided to layer quite a few of my 'drip' experiments onto my primary images to create the effect that the person in the photograph is trying to hide, or is to scared/embarrassed to be seen with the bruises/abuse they have.  

I feel that the more neutral/black and white experiments are a lot more successful and effective then the colour experiments because the lack of colour helps express the sadness and seriousness of abuse whereas the bright, bold colours make it seem as if it is okay to abuse someone and a not so serious matter. 

However, I felt that these pieces could have still be improved further as these look very basic, as if I have just glued the dripping ink on top of my photographs. So I decided to experiment more in Photoshop however this time I included some photographs of crack earth/texture to help create a 'fracture' effect as if the person is about to break into a million pieces with anger yet sadness. 

These were my outcomes: 

I think these experiments are a lot more successful and effective as the dripped ink and crack earth/texture looks integrated into the person in the photo, so it becomes a more more meaningful and personal.
   

I also noticed in these particular pieces of Florian's 

Its as if he has only painted half of the person's face, like its fading away. I thought this idea would be good to respond to because it creates the effect that the person being abused in the photograph is emotionally drained and tired and so its as if they're fading away from away and everything around them.

These are my responses: 

I created these experiments in Photoshop experimenting with the gradient tool and brightness/contrast. 

I feel that both lighter and darker fades are successful and effective because the lighter faded experiments express the faded effect a lot more, as if the person is going away, fading from reality or forgetting/being forgotten by everyone. 

However, the darker faded experiments create a feeling of darkness or horror, as if something is taking over the person, capturing them which is very much similar to the feeling when being a abused, having a feeling of being trapped and not being able to escape anywhere.

I have also created some photograms responding to Florian Nicolle: 

    

I particularly like these experiments because I feel, that the splashing and dripping of developer help express emotion. The dripping and running of developer down the photogram creates a sense of sadness or perhaps symbolise someones tears and the splashing of developer creates a sense of disappearance, perhaps that person in the photogram has been abused for a long period of time and they have had no escape so they are slow fading away from reality.