parakouō
I went on 16 first dates for my Contemporary Art Photography Assignment. This project started off with my curiosity over discomfort. I wanted to explore discomfort and discovered that first dates universally produce discomfort. Within my specific context I found lining up first dates for myself particularly relevant as I am not a big "dater" and would not naturally put myself "out there" as I did. I used Tinder as the main platform for organizing my dates. The title, Parakouo, is Greek and means "carelessly or casually".
Initially I wanted to focus on the significance of pushing through discomfort I wanted to photograph discomfort and speak on the treasure in the pain Personally I link swimming in cold water with the enabling of me to go and sing at a bar even though it used to be my worst fear. In the process of practicing my initial concept of photographing discomfort- I found myself uncomfortable. I went to Victoria Road in Woodstock with a friend and I thought a good starting point would be to ask strangers permission to ask them two uncomfortable questions 1) When did you have your first kiss and 2) What’s your biggest fear) and take a photograph of them (these are taken on film and have been sent in for development). As I said, I felt very uncomfortable as many candidates rejected me. I noticed my personal discomfort and my lack of achieving the wished facial reactions within my photographs of these strangers. Around the same time a guy on Instagram DM’d me and said that we should go and get drinks sometime. Because of my headspace I immediately recognized the deep discomfort within me at that moment. And I remembered how this is an absolutely recurring thing. The same pattern of discomfort in a guy asking me on a date. What I know is that my friends relate with me and it is this universal discomfort we experience when we are being asked onto a date and the fear of discomfort when we show up for the date. I became interested in more peculiar situations wherein we experience discomfort rather that very literal of obvious depictions thereof. I got the idea to chase this discomfort I experienced in above mentioned case. In chasing it the belief is that the discomfort would minimize as I am being desensitized towards the scenario and fears around it. I want to organize dates for myself and have my photo taken on each first date I have. The photo would be taken by this stranger I am with on the date after which I would ask permission if I could take his photo too. I want to make a series of self-portraits where I am placed in discomfort (self imposed and with the aim of overcoming it as I chase it and do not run away from it). The mundane quality of this situation fascinates me because I feel there is something very universal about it. The practical idea is to print these self-portraits out on little cards and display them together with either my date’s picture on the back of the card or not (depending on whether he gave permission to be part of my project). I have downloaded Tinder for the first time ever (purely for this project otherwise I would never have). I want to organize my dates in shifts and communicate to my dates that I only have an hour to spend with them. Only after the photos are taken I might inform them about my project but in sharing it prior to the photos some discomfort may be lost. I would have to share the project story eventually in order to get permission to use their photograph.
Exhibition Proposal
● Red tape (Available at Gardens centre)
● Prints (Dog Ear Editions)
● Bedside table (Observatory)
● White shop display rack (Observatory)
● Red “diary” (PNA)
● Samsung Galaxy S2 (Facebook Market Place)
● Prints (Dog Ear Editions)
● Bedside table (Observatory)
● White shop display rack (Observatory)
● Red “diary” (PNA)
● Samsung Galaxy S2 (Facebook Market Place)
Thank You.
@karien.dl
