Final Project

Final Project: Through Our Eyes

Objective: 

The overall goal of this project wasn’t to inform others about depression (that’s what google is for), but it was to share the results of our little experiment with each other. I considered it a conversation starter. These images offer the viewer a small glimpse into our lives and shows the toll a disorder like Dysthmia can take on a relationship. This was a pretty personal project. So, to share it with everyone has me feeling pretty vulnerable, but I think most people can relate to these images in one way or another. I am actually happy to share these.

Medium:

I knew I wanted to create a book or paper structure of some sort to display our images. 

I used Japanese paper, sheer fabric, and thread to create the accordion style pocket book.

Concept:

This piece was not only a project, but it was also sort of an experiment. I chose my husband Adam as my peer mentor and I wanted him to be involved in the process of creating this. For about a week we took candid photographs of each other. I didn’t really give him a guideline of what we could and could not photograph, I just told him to take some pictures of me when he got a chance. He actually ended up taking a few more photos of me than I did of him. Which I am kind of glad because it made the changes I need to make crystal clear. 

Expectations: At first, I wasn’t sure what I was expecting to get out of this whole thing, I just thought it would be cool to see each other in a different way.  At the end of the week we revealed the images to one another. I did not think seeing these images would have such an impact on us, but they sure did. It sparked a much need conversation about our individual lives as well as our relationship. 

Realizations:

After revealing the images to one another we took some time to reflect.  While reflecting on the images Adam took, I realized that there is an extreme disconnect between my personal thoughts and my lifestyle. Sometimes, I get so caught up in my own thoughts that I forget how much I am affecting the people around me. Some good ways, some not so good. Adam explained how frustrated he is with me but also how proud he is of me. From oversleeping and over/under eating to making horrible messes and not leaving the house, these episodes are difficult on our relationship. I think his images convey a sense of love and concern all at the same time. I felt guilty and also reassured (weird combo of emotions) after viewing his images.  Where as I feel like my images are saying "save me". Overall, I think we both need to slow down. 

The Images

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Reflection