Truth: The quality or state of being true. That which is true or in accordance with fact or reality. A fact or belief that is accepted as true. These were the dictionary definition when researching the word ‘truth’. These examples are good ways to define the word however I believe that this word can be interpreted in many other ways. Truth not only stands as an actual fact, but also stands as a representation of what we believe to be true. Our memories and opinions are very powerful and we all perceive things in different ways. Truth being one of them. Whether it be focusing on the truth of statistical facts or the truth we have heard or envisioned in our minds, both show the differentiation and associations we contemplate when representing the truth.
Fantasy: ‘The faculty or activity of imagining things, especially things that are impossible or improbable’. Imagination plays a huge part of representing fantasy. Using our imagination to create things that we could only dream of is an interesting way to explore this exam theme. Creating images that hold elements of a surreal yet authentic style could be visually aesthetic alongside representing a certain fantasy you would like to portray, whether it be a representation of re-occurring dreams/nightmares or a particular interesting (spiritual) figure.
Fiction: Invention or fabrication as opposed to fact. Literature in the form of prose, especially short stories and novels, that describes imaginary events and people. This theme could be a representation of a particular fantasy story you could portray, perhaps even in a twisted and revealing way. Fiction also is a theme in which imagination plays a big part of and.making things/objects seem bigger and brighter (and almost surreal) could be an interesting factor when approaching this title.
When getting a brief overview of this years exam themes, there were a few things In the exam booklet that I highlighted in which interested me. A few key points included:
-subconscious urge
-true representation of objects
-inner vision
-cultures … Aborigional, Inca, Aztec, Polynesian
-life, death
-discovery, astronomy, astrology
-mirrors, reflective surfaces, lights
-synagogues, churches, mosques, cathedrals
A few ideas that were branched out from these initial ideas included this idea of crime photography. The fact that the first thing that happens when you get arrested is that you get a mug shot taken of you and you have to get physical copies of fingerprints, which is done in order to clearly identify the suspect could be an interesting topic to investigate. Also focusing on generalised mugshots (like the ones in passports) could be interesting to look at because they are plain and boring. Focusing on the fact that if you create an image and deconstruct/erase specific elements within that image, at what point does it not become valid? It is still an image of a person, features are still noticeable. But is there/where is the truth in misrepresentation.
Another interesting idea to look further into is social media. How we create this sort of alter-ego and this exaggerated avatar ( insinuating positive connotations) to make us more lovable and popular, and the fact that social media creates identities/identities that are controlled by us, suggesting the fact that this person we’ve created may or may not be completely true.
Furthermore, a possible aspect that I find fascination is the concept of childhood memories. Focusing particularly on the truth meanings (specifically focusing on the comparison of memories within different age groups). An example would be how we fabricate things when we are younger. We go into a building and see big things and bold colours, however, we grow up to discover that the building isn’t actually that big (we can touch the roof with our fingers) and the colours were just in fact plain and simple. Conducting a representation of this could be quite interesting to undertake.