Real to the Surreal: Study

Surrealism is an open art form which allows artists to portray aspects of reality and their imagination in absurd styles. Before starting the 'Real to the Surreal' art project, I decided to research professional artists. 

Aziz and Cucher are visual artists who have collaborated since 1993 to create a range of surrealist projects. Dystopia is their most renowned exhibit, which features photographs of various models with their facial features removed. 

To me, this project is visually powerful - making such a small change can leave a large and negative impression on the audience; when showing their work to my family, they described the images as "gross" and "creepy". I decided to create a piece of work in their style in an attempt to spark a similar reaction. 

My interpretation of Aziz and Cucher's style.

I decided to use a younger model as this would allow me to combine surrealism and a child's innocence to create a (potentially) bigger impact. To further emphasise this, I asked him to lean against a fluffy surface in his school uniform - similar to a standard school photograph. I then took the image into Adobe Photoshop, where I removed his facial features and drained the saturation. The lighting on various areas of the face is patchy and needs tweaking, but I will leave it for now so that I can make a start on the relevant art project.