These two pieces pertain to the need to wash yourself clean of dirty acts and sin. The newspaper article, which inspired the pieces described the need for people to wash themselves physically if they feel dirty from sinful acts. It has been discovered that when hit men go through with a gruesome murder, the next day they will hit the spa for a day of cleansing. The photographs exhibit the irony in this human tendency, the woman even if she is drowning in the water in a drastic effort for purification she is unable to get clean. Her guilt stays with her signified by the expression of grief worn on her face.
These photos were not altered afterwards on a computer, through a series of techniques I was able to create the effect without a picture editing program.
This was the original subject, an asian mask made in the 17th century.
By using a scanner, and moving the image constantly while the scan was in process I was able to bring about interesting distortions of the image.
As the woman was supposed to be drowning I searched for a way to make her appear as though she was under water. What worked well was to fill a plastic zip-lock bag with water and place it over the image, the air bubbles inside the plastic and the reflections of the light gave an underwater appearance.
