The Eye in "I"

This blog began as my journal for the course Identity and Popular Media under the instruction of Dr. Venus Opal Reese at the University of Texas at Dallas. (I included Dr. Reese’s entire name as I have a friend who thinks it is the coolest name ever.) But the semester has come to an end. For those of you, who enjoy reading my tangents, don’t worry; I will continue this blog. It has been cathartic and a bit addictive, so it wont be going away anytime soon. And I will begin to include more of the “lens” aspect. I have been quite busy, as I’m sure you’ve read. But before I end the semester, there are a few things that I neglected to include in previous posts.

The first thing I overlooked is an overview of my degree plan – the when I will complete things. Well, if things go as I plan and I am granted transfer credit, I will finish my coursework Fall 2011. OMG that seems so freaking far away! That means I will take my field exams Spring 2012. If all goes well there, and I am determined that it will, I will officially begin my dissertation Fall 2012 and defend at the end of Fall 2013. So, my plan is to finish this program in three years plus one semester (Fall 2010-Fall 2013). Not too shabby. I think I can pull it off since I’m here in Dallas with no distractions. I’ll keep you updated on my progress. And again, this is all contingent on transfer credit.

I was also called upon to discuss my final project, The Eye in “I”. Dr. Reese insists that we get our work out there, that we submit, publish, show, whatever, as long as we are putting the work out into the real world. So, I am submitting the finished project (with a few minor adjustments because a) I’m not going through trying to get rights to a song, and b) it was suggested to me to have the images on the screen longer) to two film festivals, The Talking Pictures Festival (by Dec 20^th) and The Kansas City FilmFest (by Dec 15^th). No, I don’t consider myself a filmmaker. But the project became a sort of slideshow with narrative, kind of on a Chris Marker’s La Jetée style, but not, and in English. Since I do consider myself a photographer of sorts, I intend to deconstruct the project and submit some of the photos to SRO Photo Gallery (postmarked by Mar 21^st, but I will send it off before then).

So, about my process. First, I took a photographic image of the model’s eyes looking directly into the camera. For those who had an issue with the camera close in their personal space, I suggested they look into the camera as though they were looking at themselves in the mirror. Next, I asked two questions; the first: How would you describe yourself? I wasn’t quite sure where the project would go, as the second image I was to create all hinged on each model’s response to my second question. This question was: If you could have only one visual image represent you, what would that image be? I must say, I was surprised by almost all of the responses, all of which I had to interpret and create. So, no matter how objective I planned this project to be, the images I created were still subjective, as I had to translate the words into an image. Then, being the storyteller that I sometimes find myself, in order to put the images together in a cohesive way, I needed an additional narrative. Yes; I know; I did it again and added another layer. I could have left it with just their words and images, but where’s the fun in that?

Before I get to the next part, let me preface with this: theory is not really my thing. As I have stated on numerous occasions, I am all about intertextuality. Don’t get me wrong; now that I have learned some of the theory, I get a little smirk on my face when I recognize it in something. But again, I think that’s more because of the way my brain likes to recognize things that are connected, like some six degrees of separation or something. (See, what did I tell ya.) But this was a theory class, so let me cover the theory in the project. Let's call the following an abstract:

If you could have only one visual image represent you, what would that image be? Is one image enough? Will this image, as Baudrillard claims, go through four successive phases of an image to eventually have no connection to the reality of the original? Expanding on Gauntlett’s exploration of the self-narrative through visual projects, this work is a postmodernist examination of the self-narrative and the performance of identity through the use of the visual image to reflect an individual’s verbal declaration of a representation of the Self. The project includes a study of each individual’s eyes representing the eye in identity, one source from which the individual views the Self. Each participant is asked two questions and the responses are recorded. The questions are: How would you describe yourself? If you could have only one visual image represent you, what would that image be? A visual interpretation of the participant’s response to the second question is included. Each of these visual representations is a reflection of the individual’s reality of Self, Baudrillard’s first phase of the image. The participants’ responses to both questions are used as identifiers for each set of images, which are compiled into a short film. The participants’ declarations are also used to create a voice-over narrative for the film in a seriocomic format quietly exploring both the construction and fluidity of identity.

I promise to eventually have a link to view both versions of the film. I am teaching myself the different programs, etc. so it might take me a while. Check back often.