Body Refractions: Form

"Body Refractions: Form No. 1"

We make connections between light and shadow to give meaning to the image we are presented with. It is human nature to try to identify the subject we are looking at as a way of determining whether we are safe or in danger. We are hardwired to make these quick assumptions in order to survive.

This psychological phenomenon of seeing faces in abstract forms is called Pareidolia. It can be seen in the Rorschach inkblot text, which helps doctors obtain a better understanding of their patients mental state by allowing them to describe what they see in an arbitrary form. It can also be attributed to many religious apparitions, such as seeing the Virgin Mary in a grilled cheese sandwich, or the seeing the face of Jesus in the Shroud of Turin.

In this final set of images from my Body Refractions series (a study in water, light and refraction), I was captivated by the abstract forms my subject's body created underwater. The obliteration of her facial features did not deter me from identifying a hand here, a foot there. The longer I looked at the image, the more developed the form became as my mind connected the dots and filled in the blanks.

As an artist, I love to explore different ways of creating portraits. I never loose interest in capturing the face of others but I do love to see how various filters of perception can enhance, abstract and elevate a portrait to a different plane.

Julie Green
July 29, 2017

"Body Refractions: Form No. 2"

"Body Refractions: Form No. 3"

"Body Refractions: Form No. 4"

"Body Refractions: Form No. 5"