Still Lifes
Brighton, MA 11.27.2023
Flat Lay 1; Meme
2023.11.27
ISO 800, 21mm, f/3.5, 1/50sec
©2023. Ezra Ercolini
Flat Lay 2; Dad
2023.11.27
ISO 800, 21mm, f/3.5, 1/80sec
©2023. Ezra Ercolini
Reflection
For this assignment, I was inspired by the flat lay still lifes we viewed during Lecture 10 – particularly Norm Diamond and Ziya Gafic. Although their work is vastly different, I was drawn to the organization and pointed presentation of the items in the images, evoking emotion with the objects chosen - the set up or the framing working to allow the objects to convey a story and a level of significance to the viewer
While I usually struggle to create minimalistic or clean compositions, I have long sought to emulate Taryn Simons – specifically her shooting style and organization of A Living Man Declared Dead and Other Chapters I – XVIII. The uniformity draws viewers into the minute details of each portrait, shifting from each closely displayed image in search of similarities, differences, and the overall unifying statement. While I initially envisioned my own flat lays in this style, after I began placing the items, I felt my final images better conveyed the personalities of my Dad and grandparents.
Starting this assignment, I focused on option 3, considering pivitol moments in my life. Ultimately, I chose to move forward with option one, connecting my pivitol moments through the two presented flat lay images for this assignment – the first an assortment of items that belonged to and remind me of my paternal grandmother Lucienne, who we called Meme, and the second an assortment of items that belonged to and remind me of my Dad. My paternal grandparents raised me alongside my parents and played a major role in shaping my personhood as an adult. My Dad, grandmother, and grandfather all passed in quick succession 10 years ago and that experience marked a monumental shift colored by loss, grief, self-discovery and exploration.
Through these images, I am exploring how the connection to certain objects shape memory, grief, and healing – themes I would like to continue to further expand upon in my final narrative project. My goal was to create compositions that intensified the viewer's understanding of the importance of these objects and the story they tell. Why do we keep certain items or specific memories? Every piece in these images was intentionally chosen from shooting on top of a couch cushion from my grandparent's living room set to the reflection on my Dad's photo, an image that usually sits on my window sill - a framed happy accident at the end of a role of film.
I chose to use light from the sliding glass door in my living room, as seen in these set-up shots. I used a white card and envelope to reflect light in certain spaces to lighten the shadows. Overall, I was pleased by how my final side lit images pull the textures from the different fabrics included. My goal was to create dimension in a flat image where the viewers' eyes may be drawn in multiple directions by the number of items included.