Rationale

This body of work is about the relationship between photography and the senses, when a typical photo exhibition takes place in a gallery we as the viewer only use one maybe two of our senses. Sight and sometimes touch is the only senses used when we view a photograph we can’t smell the  roses or hear the laughter or taste that ice cream we see a 2D representation we can only see. Photographers haven’t been able to push the boundaries when it comes to the senses. I never thought about the relationship between photography and the senses until I research Chris Holmes, Chris Holmes became blind almost overnight at 14, due to a genetic eye disorder. A photographer since childhood, Holmes also happens to be one of Great Britain’s most successful Paralympic swimmers and a nine-time gold medallist. Without sight, Holmes uses his awareness of light, emotion and experience to take a shot. Before researching Chris Holmes I didn’t really think that senses other than sight were that important but blind photographers like Chris Holmes really got me interested in making a project based around senses but taking away the sight element is the key part of my project. 

So I created Sense, a sensory game that uses all the other 4 senses to work out images that are blurred and distorted. The blurring and distortion is a key part to the game as the sense of sight is not going to be able to solely decipher the image. The four senses taste, smell, sound and touch will be only the guide to decipher the image.

The sense game is based around the idea of a day in my local park even though the objects photographed are personal to the park I visit most of the objects are transferable to other parks so everyone can relate. This is key as too personal location wouldn’t work as a game because the objects may not be recognisable to others who don’t know you which is not the point of the game the idea is to available to all from young  to old to the visually impaired or the deaf . I want this game to be shown on a monitor for the PowerPoint element where the blurred images are displayed and the sound element for the images are on and there will be three feely boxes for the touch element, 2 smell boxes and taste box. I would want this to be displayed as an exhibition piece in a museum to show how the senses work and if one of our senses was compromised how we could work out what is being shown.  

There are nine images all together that are blurred out split up into three section, the three sections are three parts of my local park .the first section is “in the woods” as you walk in to the park you walk through the woods to get into the rest of park. The three senses used “in the woods” section are sound, touch and smell the sense will make you feel like you are there in the park which is what I want to create. The next section is “the memorial” is quite significant to the park as Remembrance Sunday is held at the cenotaph memorial every year so it is integral part of park. The three senses are sound, taste and touch. The final section is “park life” this section includes play equipment, Skate Park and ice cream. “Park life” is what most parks have in them like a playground a skate park and normally ice cream van for ice cream this section everyone should be able to relate to.

The touch element includes feely boxes that have the object blurred out on the screen inside them unseen so only the sense of touch can help you work out what it is. The sound element is sound bites that relate to the images that is blurred out played through the PowerPoint. The smell element is scratch and sniff stickers that represent the blurred image scratching the sticker releases the scent. There is only one taste element which is a muffin the part of the image is an ingredient in the muffin the taste buds are really the only sense that can help.