joana with one n [has a thesis blog]

Magic Eye: now in skin?

Photoshopping new images into the veins, spots, creases, pores, shadows, etc. of the scans.

Layers.

And some really beautifully insightful thoughts from Hsiang Ju:

Skin is a biggest organ and sensor of human. It is also an interface between people’s inside and outside worlds.
Like doors, I think skin has a lot of collective memory embedded and lots of potential to be both an object and a subject.
I also think it is a visual touch to see a human so close.

Thanks Hsiang!

My projected scans, let me show you them:

Birthmark on torso

Hand on stomach

Face on Rich’s arm

Knuckles on shoulder

I did a project a while back, projecting slides onto a person, and the resulting photos were cool but confusing. I don’t like how the scans of my leg and knuckles come out like a bad metaphors for disease. The photos are very dark, so it’s difficult to reference the body parts without picking an obvious landmark (like a navel). The scans lose all of their detail, and a lot of the photos are out of focus anyway. The whole thing looks kind of cheesy, like telling ghost stories in the dark with a flashlight.

Rich was my trusty assistant, and he did a fine job. That being said, it’s very difficult to simultaneously pose in the photos and direct the composition of the images.

I’m not very happy with these images in particular, but they could be the start of something interesting.

I’m currently in the process of making a list of things to do with these scans, as Adam has recommended. That will appear here in the next couple of days.

In the meantime, I’ve scanned some more bits.

Knuckle close-up.

I like that it looks like light is being emitted from my knuckles. Super knuckles.

This is actually more interesting on its side. It becomes more about texture and less about form.

Tongue (see below).

Trying to stay absolutely still is remarkably difficult, especially while lying on the floor with your face pressed against a scanner. Try it sometime.

Here are some closeup chunks of the scans in the previous post. At a distance, the scans look just as they seem–like I put myself on a scanner. Up close though, the images are more interesting, more compelling. I’m not sure how to make my entire arm (as an example) as equally compelling as a closeup of fingers… thoughts?

Foot

Heel

Arm

Then I started scanning Richard, who was kindly assisting me during my scanning endeavors.

Beard

Chest

I realize there are parts missing. I’d like to add my hands, my upper arm and my thighs. Believe it or not, I scanned my ass, but chose not to include it. I don’t think it’s a compelling addition…yet.

Stay tuned.

From Longoland: