Books Research On Body Language & Human Behaviour
Speak Italian: The Fine Art of The Gesture
I began my research of body language by reading the book, Speak Italian: The Fine Art of The Gesture by Bruno Munari. It introduces the gestures Italian people use to communicate with each other. I was amazed by how accurate and detailed a gesture could mean in Italian culture. There are so many different gestures, some are straight forward that I can sort of guess what they mean, while some are subtle that even a tiny difference of a finger can indicate a completely different thing. Moreover, this book makes me ponder the stories and origins behind all these gestures people use in different cultures.
When a male and a female walk pass each other, they would both perform their bodies in certain ways to showcase their muscularity and femininity. At the moment they have walked by, they then go back to a more relaxed and natural posture. I think this actually applies to everyone regardless of their genders. It is human nature that we want to impress people we care about by putting out our best selves.
Tony Oursler's Half-Projection, Half-Sculpture Electronic Effigies
Tony Oursler is an expert at projecting human's faces onto small 3D objects, playing the line between media and sculptural art spaces. Looking at his work before watching this video, I would think that he was just doing it for the quirky, humorous and almost creepy looks. This video has given me a more interesting and informed perspective in viewing his work, which is his interest in human behaviour. He explores the idea of multiple personalities disorder, which is a person constantly switching different personalities in one body. This idea reminds me of the movie "Split" I also find the fact that he also incorporate sound into his installations by imagining narratives between the dolls and recording his voice very intriguing.
"Whether gazing out of a train window, looking across a busy restaurant or staring down a bustling sidewalk, our lives are often spent observing others' disposition through their body language." This video fits perfectly to my project brief, to discover the humour through body language in the ordinary and unnoticed moments in our lives. I really like the way it revolves around only one part of the body, hands, as it makes the storyline really clear. I am impressed by the director's imagination and creativity to come up with these seemingly ordinary but relatable situations such as bumping into an ex. I also like that at the beginning of each situation there is a short text to indicate what's happening, as it makes me curious about what the hands are gonna do. I think the reason why I find humour in this video is because I find these situations relatable and that I find it funny when the hands do something I am not expecting.
The humour in this film fully relies on the script, casting and acting.
"The continuous final shot of the film SEE | OBEY, choreographed by Susanna Leinonen, is an impeccable display of coordination, timing, and cinematic excellence." I especially love the intro scene of this video when the two dancers performed some movements while the camera zoomed out, and they kissed. After that moment, the camera starts moving and everything became into slow motion, creating a really interesting effect that draws people's attention and curiosity. When everything becomes slow, it is easier to observe the movement in details, and I've noticed that when I was watching the film it became natural for me to predict what was happening based on a single posture, gesture or facial expression. Speed is definitely a huge factor that affects our ways of observing people's body language.
This video is a perfect example of what I am most interested in at the moment: exploring the humour and beauty in the human's body movement through moving image. I love the minimal aesthetics of this film, the styling, cinematography, movement, editing, props, lighting, set and location all seem very simple but have really strong and clear effects visually. This is actually a campaign film for a clothing brand called Marina. I love the fact that it doesn't seem commercial at all but seems more like a fun conceptual film that could also exist in a gallery, but at the same time it is still promoting the brand. This reminds me of my previous project called "Dark Future", which I used a very similar aesthetic and visual language exploring the movement of human body as well. I am now even more certain that this is the area I am really eager and curious to explore.
The aesthetics of this video really appealed to me. I like how the three models are all wearing the same outfits and the bright color that stands out from the dark. The choreography was designed to be right on the beat, just like a music video. The atmosphere of the video is really funky, playful, and weird, and I would really like to make a video like this.
This is a very well-executed one-shot music video. What impressed me the most is that it seems to be shot in only a small space, but with the use of the changing colours of the lighting and the smooth cinematography, it actually seems like it's taken the viewers on a journey through a big space. Another aspect that is really successful in my opinion is the compatibility between the music and the choreography, for they matches with each other perfectly on the beat, the tone, and melody. I'm also a big fan of the styling in this video, mixing garments in beige, brown, white, gold, and green.
"As is made abundantly clear by this highly entertaining supercut of Wes Anderson’s films, the creator of such modern classics as The Royal Tenenbaums, Rushmore and The Grand Budapest Hotel is a BIG fan of symmetry."
One of the things I like about Wes Anderson's film is the cinematography. He excels at using symmetry to frame his footages, switching between long-distance shots and close-up ones to create a theatrical atmosphere. Along with the delicate and dreamy set design, he never ceases to impress his fans by taking them into his magical worlds.
Photography/ Stills Research
Serenity By Can Dagarslani
"The artist’s basic idea is that serenity became the victim of our daily lives that is overshadowed by the norms of the modern world. Yet, it is only possible to reach serenity while getting old. In his series titled ‘Serenity’, Dağarslani questions the existence of a practical way of life in serenity, in the Bauhaus school of Dessau. The starting point of the series became the contrast he wanted to create between the modes and the three main colors of Bauhaus including red, blue, and yellow. He keeps the natural light and the colors of objects as it is, playing with composition and the model’s’ motions. The geometries of the surrounding play a key role, becoming a special character in the visual narrative as the models themselves."
I am obsessed with everything in this series. The styling, casting, art direction, photography, etc. I think the casting is the biggest part that makes this series successful. You just wouldn't expect an old couple doing these things in these really young and vibrant matching outfits. I noticed that the first reaction I had when I saw this was opening my mouth and smiled. There is just something that really speaks to my heart when old or young models are casted, for it creates an effect so different from what we have been used to seeing and brings my thoughts to the subject of humanity, our emotions and the essence of lives.
This picture inspired me to have this idea of doing a film of the hands going up in multiple spaces. I like the the composition of this picture and how the hands are situated in only a small bottom part of the whole frame but are very eye-catching doing different postures.
What I find interesting in this picture is the material used to create shadow. I find the transparency and the colour of the shadow really cool and dreamy. It's like the shadow isn't even real but more like a painting. I would also wanna try shooting transparent materials to experiment with this kind of effect.
Exhibition: Only Human by Martin Parr @National Portrait Gallery
The exhibition was really amazing! I would say it is my favourite exhibition I have seen this year so far. I have always been a huge fan of Martin Parr. I love how his unique vision to capture the humour in our ordinary lives. In the exhibition, there are several rooms separating his work in different themes and topics. There are the celebrities room, dance room, sports room, brexit room, etc. I really like the way it is curated, very logical and gives the viewers a sense of what the work is about without having to explain.
I have noticed that many of Parr's photos were taken when the models were not noticing, which makes me wonder how he always manage to do that since he pretty much uses flash in every picture. I wonder if he actually just takes it without worrying the consequences or informs his models beforehand.
From my experience, when I did street photography of people and their dogs, there was no way I could just hit the shutter (with flash) in front of their faces, or else I would have been reported for invasion of privacy. I guess the time/generation is one of the factor as well. Since social media became a huge part of our lives, people have gotten so cautious on images of them being used for inappropriate purposes.
Another thing I found really interesting was that there is literally a cafe in the middle of the exhibition. What's special about it was that it is decorated in a very "British" way, a down to earth, not boogie at all kinda British way though, as if it was a scene from one of Martin's photos.
Out of all the rooms, I am most inspired by the dancing room because of its set design. I was surprised by the disco ball hanging on the ceiling as I walked in and saw colourful dots moving on the pictures of people dancing. It made me wanna dance! It is such a simple but effective idea, making the experience more interactive and wholesome.
Material Research - The Use of Mirrors In Photography
Faces in the mirror (reflection) is focused and clear, whereas the bodies (real figures) are out of focus. If it was me I think I would have the models look into the camera though the mirrors so the photo would be visually more appealing. The angle it was photographed (from above) was interesting as well.
I like how the artist places the mirror in locations that seems really quiet and dead, and by reflecting the human bodies, it is as if telling a story, making the place more alive and vibrant.
Liu's photography always gives me a very elegant vibe. She takes self-portraits using natural daylight in indoor spaces, using mirrors to reflect her body parts while adding plants or flowers in her sets. There isn't really a clear concept she is trying to convey through her images, but in terms of the aesthetics of the photography I am a big fan.
The broken cracks on the mirror distorting the models facial features really caught my eyes. I also like how the shadows on two sides of the mirror make a line with the figures in the mirror.
Shoe Campaign Research
These these images I have selected have one thing in common: they all catch people's attention and are minimal, colourful, quirky, surreal, and most importantly, visually captivating.
"Three legs in different shoes coming from behind a tree", the location the main reason why this image looks so quirky and visually captivating, making me wanna look twice.
Two legs coming out from a triangle object?? Where is the upper half part of the body!!?? It can't be real, right? (Photoshop is magic!)
When I first saw this picture, I first thought they were a pair of skinny legs, so I had to look back again until I realised two of them were actually hands. I think the marketing strategy behind this is really clever - using an unusual image to attract the viewers' attention. Even if they might be a big fan of the product, the image would be stuck in their brain instead of vanishing like most brands.
Unusual poses could easily attract people's eye as well, such as two legs coming up from behind a sofa, and they are upside down!!
Digital/ Social Media Research - Jimmy Choo's Instagram Online Store
I have noticed that a lot of fashion brands' Instagram Profile Pictures are designed in a very minimal way with a simple picture and font or even a colour background with fonts like this. This emphasises costumers' impression of the brand's name and logo in a stronger and clear way.
I have also noticed the fact that these gestures often come with certain facial expression to indicate one's emotions. For example, the gesture of "I don't care" is used with an scornful and aggressive attitude, thus the face in the picture.
Projection Installation Artist Research - Tony Oursler
This installation is very detailed and delicate. I wonder how he managed to project so many different footages in the exact shapes of the objects, because a normal projector usually projects videos in rectangle only. I'm guessing he is using a more professional projector that allows you to project png files with transparent backgrounds. Or it could also be possible that he calculated and exact distance between each object and projected only one footage with one projector.
This is a rather realistic piece of Oursler's. Without distorting the figures or placing them with highly contrasted objects, he simply collects a number of different eyes and projected them in different sizes. Personally, I think it is not as thought provoking as his other pieces but maybe this was a screenshot of a video of these eyes blinking, which would be visually strong as well.
Film Research
This narrative short film tells a story about teenage boys' obesession with the quiff hairstyle. I can tell that every shot is well planed beforehand. I think it is highly relevant to my project because there is no lines at all in the entire film, yet the storyline is really clear and well executed. My favourite scene is when the main character was combing his hair in front of the mirror, his mom comes into the frame and giving him a look as if he is doing it wrong. He then keeps peeking at her while doing it with an insecure and doubtful look. It reminds me of the moments when you suddenly get clumsy when there's people watching you.
Another short film focusing on the hands. I think the voiceover is a crucial element to this film, as it really draws the viewers' attention and bring a humorous and fun touch to this piece.
This video is a collection of the scenes of hands from French director Robert Bresson's movies, it reminds me of the project I did during the fine art diagnostic week where we had to create a piece by collecting something. I chose to collect the shadows of pedestrians of the street and made it into a film. I feel like this kind of visual language is quite light but thought provoking at the same time, as it encourages the audience to connect with the work with their own personal experiences.
There is a really impressive scene in this video - multiple hands performing a well-choreographed fast routine behind a sofa. I think the reason why it is so visually appealing is not only due to the amazing choreography but because that no other body parts but the hands were shown. This tricks the audience's brains and make them forget that there were actually people hiding behind the sofa. They look like some other creatures that move in a really fast speed.
I love the aesthetics of this short film. The colourful styling with the quirky choreography and facial expression creates a really intriguing effect. I like how each models were dressed in different colours at first and at the end were dressed in colours from each other. The sound is brilliant as well, although without music, is actually effective and matches with the movement really well.
This picture is appealing to me for several reasons. Firstly, the casting. Four female models and four male models doing the same postures while facing each other creates a tension but also a harmony at the same time. The way they are styled in contrasted colours is aesthetically pleasing as well. Overall, I would say this picture is a perfect example that contrasted elements could exist really well together in a non-conflicting way.
The idea of interacting with one's own shadow is also something I want to test out.
This picture gave me the idea of playing with light and shadow. I love how the faces are not visible but the silhouette of their bodies are projected really clear on the fabrics.
The beach chair was printed with a visually strong picture that made me think that we are not allowed to sit on it when it literally says "take a rest".
It was really interesting to see how each room is decorated in different ways in correspondence to its theme. For example, this sports room has the floor in blue with green light, just like a tennis court.
3cm has been one of the most renowned photographers when it comes to the use of mirrors and reflection in photography. His ability and creativity for challenging our perceptions towards the ordinary by creating surreal content is out of this world. He puts his observation of society behind his portraits of women, femininity, and women’s bodies.
Are those hands, arms, legs, or feet I'm looking at???
There is a hole in her body!!
I like how the reflection forms a new figure with the model's actual hair.
By using flashlight to make the image look vibrant, the composition and art direction of this image are very minimal, but is very strong and clear in terms of promoting the product.
This picture is definitely going to catch costumers' attention due to these important factors: huge amount of skin, bright and colourful aesthetics, rebellious way of wearing the shoes.
I saw this display in a shoe store in Oxford street after I actually finished shooting the campaign already. I thought this was really similar to my idea, and if I were to design a set in a actual store in response to the photography it would be something like this.
In an Instagram post with a short caption, Jimmy Choo's digital marketing team introduces their product's material, aesthetics, with CAPITAL letters to emphasise the name of the collection as well as hashtag to reach potential buyers.