POMEGRANATE SEED

EDITH WHARTON 1931

"Pomegranate Seed is the most restrained, sympathetic ghost story I know of, rivalled perhaps only by A. S. Byatt's The July Ghost for it's perfect balance of love and intimate horror. Wharton arouses pity, but the governing emotion is love, excessive love that overthrows the laws of nature."
- Audrey Niffenegger

Pomegranate Seed is an emotional short ghost story that I read recently in a collection of ghost stories put together by Audrey Niffenegger. Told through the viewpoint of a man's second wife, she records the reaction of his husband soon after he starts to receive mysterious letters. The protagonist can not decipher who was writing the letters and how they magically appeared, convinced that the letters were from a women and consumed by jealousy, she confronts her husband who refuses to give an explanation. Soon after, her husband disappears. The story chillingly concludes that the letters were from the husbands first dead wife as invitations for him to join her in the afterlife. 

This haunting story has inspired the creation of the character in the next series of images, which is based around visitation dreams. 

VISITATION DREAMS

A visitation dream: when a deceased visits ones dream. 

Psychologists describe visitation dreams to have a hyper-real intensity and believe that such dreams help with the grieving process and can encourage a wider spiritual perspective. A lot of people who have experienced visitation dreams describe the deceased to appear younger and healthier than when they passed. (McNamara, 2011) The deceased is often someone that the dreamer knows who has recently passed but can also appear decades after their passing. Some believe that the deceased visits for a few reasons. (OMtimes Magazine, 2013) 

To comfort the sleeper, to provide guidance. 

They are looking for forgiveness in order to move on. 

They want share a message or a warning.

Spirits in dreams can appear loving and kind with an angelic glow or less commonly, can appear as dark threatening entities.

Tim Walker for Vogue Italia, March 2011

Spirits and Dreams


In older times, a preferred method of contact with the departed is through dreams and hypnagogic visions. Historically speaking, dreams of the dead are some of the earliest transcribed accounts of dream life. Aristotle mentions that the characters seen in dream imagery actually seem to be the spirits of the departed. Citing Ancient China and Egypt, as well as other contemporary indigenous cultures; dreams have been noted as a natural place for the deceased to contact the living. Perhaps, dreams take place in the underworld of our minds. Cognitively speaking, themes of mortality, depression and sickness outnumber themes of happiness and bliss. One recent dream research study found that the longer a dream narrative is, the more negative in theme and emotional content it becomes. Some theories go on to suggest that visitation dreams prove the existence of an after-life, or the possibility of soul travel. (Hurd, 2009)

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Hurd, R, 2009. When the veil between worlds is thin. Dream Studies Portal. Available: http://dreamstudies.org/2009/10/29/visitation-dreams-when-the-veil-between-worlds-is-thin/ 

McNamara P, 2011. Visitation Dreams, Psychology Today Available: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/dream-catcher/201110/visitation-dreams

OMtimes Magazine, 2013. Dream Visitation: Why the deceased show up in your dream. Available: http://omtimes.com/2013/02/why-the-deceased-show-up-in-your-sleep/

MOVING IMAGES

Since I wanted to incorporate moving images within still images I decided to experiment with gifs. I created the first two using clips that I had filmed for the test shoot for the proposal and the last from the sexsomnia shoot. My aim was to create a hypnotising and surreal images and I achieved these by slowing down, reversing and distorting movement. I think the last gif works particularly well because I used a filter which makes the image look three-dimensional.

SHOOT 3: DEVELOPING SLEEP PARALYSIS

For the second shoot which was intended to develop the character of the succubus, I have created and developed a second make-up look which will add variety to the series of images. I also intended for the make-up to portray a more sinister side of the character. 

She waits in the darkness.

This was one of the first images I took at the beginning of the shoot - as the shoot continues, more and more make-up is added to portray the development of the character. Working with glossy eyes proved very challenging because it would crease the eye makeup, preventing the fake eyelashes from adhering properly - I often had to readjust the eye make-up throughout the shoot. Despite the problems that gloss caused, the effects played nicely with the camera, by using a filter over the camera lens, the gloss caught the light creating iridescent sparkles which I thought gave the makeup texture and dimension. The muted clarity of the image and play of colour works well for this character - I was happy that although without a photography I was still able to create a filmic feel to the images. The image below reminds me of Woman in Black (2012). 

A closer look

These image gives a closer look at the details of the hair, I was loosely inspired by oriental hair designs and decided to create a pattern at the front by looping the hair around and hid the pins by using flowers to accentuate the design. I felt that by simply pinning the hair upwards made the wig look a lot more natural - it also looks as though a lot more effort was put into the hair although it was quite easy to create. 

Although these images are still predominately beauty focused, I think the use of texture to the skin gives an unusual twist. As the shoot progressed, I found myself using my fingers to paint and adjust the makeup which was much quicker, using a brush gave precise clean lines that I wanted to avoid. 

The following image is one of my favourites out of the series, I used paint and beads on the lips to create an almost grotesque dried- blood texture - it appears like the character has been feeding on something.

During the shoot, I also experimented with sheer fabric - I particularly liked this one red mesh fabric. This photo was captured by throwing the fabric upwards and letting it fall upon the model. It gave an interesting effect, almost appears like aura radiating from her, or 'the souls that she is consuming'.

Overall I think the shoot was successful, knowing that I am capable of capturing such photographs without the need of a photographer or assistant put my mind at ease because I know that I can always depend on myself. 

SEXSOMNIA: RETOUCHED IMAGES

For this series of images that represent the sleep phenomenon 'sexsomnia', I wanted to create a 'blossoming' effect with the protagonist. 

In the first two images, the protagonist appears very sweet and innocent and almost demure - these represent the beginning of the dream. In post production, I made the makeup stand out a little bit more, I feel that the blush around the eyes gives an oriental touch - almost geisha like. I may give all series an oriental touch, both subtle or obvious as a sort of creator signature. Although not intended I like the soft and blurriness of the first two images compared to the last images - it can represent the heightening clarity of the dream. 

As more flowers appear, she transcends into a state of seduction. She appears graceful and relaxed. I think that the lighting and background worked very well for the following image, there is a balance of cool and warm tones which makes this image very relaxing to look at. There is a quite a romantic presence. However, I really do wish that I could've added more flowers to the skin, especially the neck and shoulders, to give an unnerving aspect which is missing from this photo.

She climaxes. I like how unsettling the image is, the eyes are turned up and I feel that the use of upwards motion blur heightens the impact of the image. 

She awakens.

I like the coldness of this last image, it is the only image in which the character has her eyes open which works well because only when she wakes does she open her eyes. Unlike the character inspired by sleep paralysis who derives from the dream world, this character portrays the sleeper as she experiences sexsomnia. The reflective material wrapped around her almost gives an impression that she is underwater which I find unnerving because it gives an impression that the character is trapped or suffocating, or dead.

Out of all the images taken, I feel that the last two images were most successful. Although I like the previous images, I feel that there is a part of the story missing. Some have described sexsomia as pleasurable but most find it threatening, some who have experienced sexsomnia have believed it to be rape. I think I will take a break from these images and return with a fresh mind as to how it can be improved.

GUILLERMO DEL TORO: COLOUR AND STORYTELLING

Guillermo Del Toro is one of my favourite film directors and is one of the main inspirations behind this project , I especially adore his dark fantasy works such as Pans Labyrinth (2006) and Crimson Peak (2015) which combines gothic horror, fairytale and romance. His use of colour is fantastic and has inspired me to work towards a filmic aesthetic. The colour red is predominantly utilised in many of his films.

Pans Labyrinth is a film combining two worlds. In the fantasy world the colours are warm, "deep crimsons and golden ambers, almost like amniotic fluids," notes Del Toro. In this world, the edges are round and soft. In the harsh reality of Ophelia's life, there are many sharp edges and angles, more contrast in colour which are predominantly blues and greys. 

As the film develops and the two worlds or narratives start to come together, the colours begin to mix. "I decided that we were going to do a contamination process, that one world was going to start infecting the other," says Del Toro. "As the movie goes on, they combine more and achieve unity, and ophelia's view of the world becomes as real as the fascists'." By using colour as their key, "we found the language we needed to help the audience understand the complexity of the movie." 

Crimson Peak is a film that combines romance and horror, a tragic love story that like many of Guillermo's films portray ghosts yet present the humans as the true monsters. There are sexual echoes carried throughout the film - red symbolises love and sin.

The ghosts of Crimson Peak are stained blood red, Del Toro explains:

The ghosts are buried in the clay," he tells me, "like the bog people in The Mummy, and I thought it would be interesting to treat them in the same colour as the clay under the house which is a bright crimson. The house is built over clay mines, and the clay is a bright red. They are visually coded and the only red in the entire movie. Everyone who has a bit of red has something to do with the ghosts. The rest of the movie does not have that colour at all. I was trying to make that red the past. To have that past seep through the floor, seep through the snow and reveal its true nature. Crime never stays hidden in classic romance.

Red has always been my favourite colour to use when creating art, I want to utilise red as a running theme throughout Phantasia for it portrays many conflicting emotions. Red is a sinister colour because it can represent love and passion yet it can also represent danger, sin, anger and destruction. Like Guillermo, when creating my images and editing in post-production, I will be considering the use of warm and cool tones and to determine what feelings that image should portray.

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Mills, R. 2015, Colour and Storytelling in Films. Available: 
http://www.robertmills.me/colour-and-storytelling-in-films/

Krupa, D. 2015, Del Toro Talks About Crimson Peak. Available: 
http://uk.ign.com/articles/2015/05/14/5-creepy-and-cool-things-del-toro-told-us-about-crimson-peak

Jenkins, D. 2015, Del Toro Interview: 'I like the kubrick films nobody likes' Available: 
http://lwlies.com/interviews/guillermo-del-toro-crimson-peak/

SHOOT TWO: SEXSOMNIA & RAW IMAGES

Prior to the shoot I had discussed the concept of the shoot, inspiration and expectations of final outcome with the photographer and model. It was great that the photographer knew exactly what I wanted from the very beginning of the shoot and no time was wasted. The model was also very easily directed and showed that she understood the mood and story of the shoot. 

During the shoot, we completed two separate looks. The makeup was subtle which I found enhances the model's natural beauty and a lot more flattering than the heavy eye makeup in the trial shoot, giving a sweeter and more innocent look. For hair, I used a synthetic hair wig. At first I was skeptical and considered using the model's real hair instead because the front of the wig was very fake and obvious. However, I decided to use the wig because I liked the darkness and length of it. To conceal the hairline, I pinned sheer red fabric to the head and added flowers, the outcome looked as though the model was wearing a headpiece which I thought complemented and completed the look. 

We played around with the lighting and experimented with different coloured gel filters and found that blue and red worked the best, giving the images cool vivid colour and dimension. We also used filters over the lens of the camera for a dreamlike effect and to cancel out any harsh edges, dreamlike imagery is very much the photographer's aesthetic - the excitement over the images made the whole experience enjoyable. 

For the second look, I initially planned to engulf the model in flowers but since we were running out of time in the studio I decided to only do a few flowers spread out across the face, neck and collar bones. The process of creating the flowers on the body was time consuming because each petal had to be glued on separately. Despite the model not being completely engulfed in flowers, I still feel that there is a powerful and sensual feel to the images. 

Unedited Images

THE COLOUR RED

Stanley Kubrick Supercut: RED

SEXSOMNIA: PROPOSAL SHOOT

For the project proposal, I did a test shoot loosely inspired by the tale of little red riding hood - it was a sensual and symbolic shoot playing with the sexual connotations portrayed in the tale. Since I changed my source of inspiration from folk and fairytale to dreams and sleep phenomenon, I figured that I could further develop the character I already created with the theme sexsomnia in mind. This story will capture the character's loss of innocence, arousal and orgasm

Abstract from my proposal: 

"For the test shoot, it was decided that the theme was to be ‘loss of innocence’. The dream is very loosely based on Little Red Riding Hood, however there are no direct references. Big innocent doll eyes were juxtaposed with smudged lips and berry stained fingers; the red symbolises sin. The veil, as you can see in the majority of the images, symbolises innocence, at the end of the series; the protagonist loses that veil and therefore loses her innocence."

Although I like these photos, I feel that hair and makeup is perhaps too heavy, instead of trying to redefine the model's features, lighter and more subtle makeup will let the model's natural beauty shine through and create something more authentic. I would also prefer if the lighting was more dramatic, the images lack dimension due to over exposure and I do not like the crisp sharp edges. After comparing the images achieved in the last shoot (sleep paralysis), these images look amateur.

I would like to reshoot these images with a different makeup and hair design and experiment with different lighting whilst keeping a red theme. 

TIME REVIEW

It has come to my attention that I actually have quite little time to complete this ambitious project. Below, I have organised a timetable of tasks I need to complete each week running up to the deadline. I aim to complete two shoots per week for the next four weeks and additional shoots starting on the 4th April. 

In my project proposal I stated that I will create six different dream characters for the exhibition. I am worried that six is perhaps too ambitious as I have come to the realisation that it will take at least two shoots to complete each story (each character consists of 2/3 different makeup and hair looks). Quality is always over quantity so I am making the decision to cut down six characters to five. I need to invest the same amount of attention to all characters - if I feel I have time later on, I may develop the remaining character. 

I am away in Hong Kong for three weeks 14th March - 4th April, during those three weeks I aim to finalise all post production for the shoots done previously and start building and developing the website. Also, I will be promoting the exhibition on social media with sneak peak images and trailers. I will be making sure that the project will continue to run smoothly even though I am away and make sure everything is set up and ready to go on my return. 

SLEEP PARALYSIS: RETOUCHED IMAGES

I have thoroughly looked through the photos from the shoot and have chosen a few to retouch and review. The editing is quite minimal, I mostly adjusted the exposure, saturation and contrast. 

Above is one of my favourite photos from the shoot, I used a sheer red fabric over the camera to achieve the gentle blur and red streaks. I also slightly retouched the eyes by dulling the whites and adding reflection to give the illusion of teariness.

I like the composition of this photo, the mesh veil almost creates the illusion of aura radiating off the model, or a protective layer between the model and the viewer. However, I feel that this photo maybe too fashion and beauty focused. 

I think this photo is the most haunting of all the photos. I edited the eyes so they are glazed over with white to heighten the eeriness of the photo, the angle of the photo is inspired by the sleepers viewpoint.

As the model emerges from the darkness there is a hint of seduction, the inability to make out her entire body is frightening. I like how soft the edges are as the gentle blur gives a romantic yet mysterious appeal. 

The next step is to develop the character of the demon, at the moment she appears quite beautiful and alluring yet I would like to capture a more frightening side of her. I will use the same model but alter the makeup and hair to create a monstrous form. 

SEXSOMNIA

A condition in which a person engages in sexual activities whilst asleep. This condition fall within the broad class of sleep disorders known as parasomnias. In extreme cases, sexsomnia has been alleged, and accepted, as at least a part of the cause of sexual assault, including rape. (wiki)

Co-director of the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Centre, Cramer Bornemann explains: "sexsomnia is not just having a sexual dream but full-fledged sexual behaviour whilst asleep." These unusual and potentially disturbing behaviours most often occur as a result of confusional arousals during which complex behaviours may occur when a sleeping person is suddenly aroused out of deep sleep but there is no solid reason as to what causes sexsomnia. (Psychology Today)