A STUDY OF AN INTROVERT MIND AND ITS APPLICATION

IN SURREAL PHOTOGRAPHY

BELYNDA PAUL (46400)

Bachelor of Applied Arts with Honors (Fine Arts)

2017

A ST UDY OF AN INTROVERT M IND AND ITS APPLICATION IN SURREA L PHOTOGRAPHY

BELYNDA PAUL

This project is one of the requirements for Bachelor of Applied Arts with Honors

(F ine Arts)

Faculty of Applied and Creati ve Arts

UNIVERSITI MALA YS IA SARAW AK

2017

UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA SARAWAK

Grade: __________

Please tick (")

Final Year Proj ect Report D i\·1a;;t.er5 D PhD D

DE CLARATION OF ORIGINAL WORK

This declaration is made on the Thursday of June 20 n .

St udent's Declaration:

I BELYNDA PAUL (46400) from FACULTY OF APPLIED AND CREATIVE ARTS hereby decla re that the thesis entitled A STUDY OF AN INTROVERT MIND AND ITS APPLICA TlON I N SURREAL PHOTOGRAPHY is my original work. I have not copied from a ny other students' work or from any other sources except where due refere nce or acknowledge me nt is made explicitly in the text, nor has any part bee n written for me by anothe r pe rson.

23 iO· ) Or'l

BELYNDA PAUL (46400) Date Submitted

S upervisor's Declaration:

I SITI SHAHIDA BT. KAMEL hereby ce!tifies that the thesis e ntitled A STUDY OF AN INTROV ERT MIND AND ITS APPLICATION IN SURREAL PHOTOGRAPHY prepared by the above Hamed student, and was submitted to the "FACULTY' as a * partia Ufull fulfillment for the conferment of BACHELOR OF APPLIED ARTS WITH HONOURS (F INE ARTS) . and the afore me ntioned work, to the best of my knowledge. is the said stud €> nt's work.

Date: :13 - , 0 ) 0\+Received for examination by:

(SITI SHAH IDA BT KAMEL)

[dec lare Ihat. ProjecUfhesis is classi1i ed as (Please tick (1) :

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D RESTRICTED (Contains res tricted information as specified by the organization where research ,,,r as done)':"

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distributed, puhlished or disclosed to any party by the student except with UNIMAS permission ,

Q(~' 4.. 11". -1-• .

Student signature -=-__~_ __ Supervisor signa ture. ~I-"!>""-'- _

(Date: ).:>, · 10 :lCil-) (Date: .13 , 0 '.~

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RECOGNITION

Project entitled A STUDY OF AN INTROVERT MIND AND ITS A PPLICATION (N SURREAL

PHOTOGRAPHY was prepared by BELYNDA PA UL and was submitted to (he Faculty of Applied and Crea ti ve AIlS as eligible for a Bachelor of Applied Ans with Honors (Fine Arts) .

Accepted for review by:

(PUAN SlTI SH~BT. KAMEL)

Date:

13 . 10 · ) Ol'l

VALIDATION

£t is recognized that I, BELYNDA PA UL accompanied with the thesis entitl ed A STU DY OF AN INTROVERT MIND AND ITS APPLICATION IN SURREAL PHOTOGRAPHY as part of the requirements for a Bachelor of Applied and Creative Arts in Fine Arts Program received.

Veri fied by:

(pUAN S~KAMEL)

Superviso r

· '11-'­_ fiS

APPRECIATION

I would like to give my sincere thanks and gratitud e to those who had helped me

throughout the making of this thesis and final year project period. First and foremost, I would like

to thank my beloved family fo r their support, prayers, and also their help in supporting me

through financial. Their SUppOJ1 and mo tivation has given me the strength to complete this

project.

I would also like to thank my final year project superv isor, Puan Siti Shahida binti Kamel

for sharing her knowledge, understanding, and experience in helping me to write thi s thesis. I

would also like to thank all the lectmers in this Fine Art progranune; Associate Professor Dr Wan

Jamarul Wan Abdullah Thani, Associa te Professor Zulkalna in b in Zainal Abidin, Mr. Anuar bin

Ayob, Dr. Yakup Rafee, Mr. Awangko' Hamdan , Mr.Mohd Zamhari bin Abol Hassan, Mr.

Hakimi bin Halim, Miss As lina Mohd laina l, and many more.

All of help and SUppOlt given to me is very much apprecia ted even though I could not

repay them aIL My prayers and thanks for those who had help me, may all of you succeed in the

future .

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ABSTRACT

This research aim to foc us on the application of mixed art such as Surreali sm and

photography in representing the mind and the characteristic of an introvert . In this study, the

exploration into the meaning of introvert and its character were identified . Three of the

characteristic acknowledged as introvert are Solitude, Inner Me, and The Listener. Furthermore,

the use of Adobe Photoshop CS6 software was used for photo-manipulation to create sWTea l

photography . The finding of this research is appli ed in the fina l artwork, entitled "Doorway to

Introvert".

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ABSTRAK

Kaj ian ini menfokuskan terhadap penggunaan seni campuran seperti Surrealism dan

fo tografi dalam mewakili minda dan perwatakan seorang Introvert. Melalui kajian 1Il!,

penerokaan ke dalam pengertian Introvert dan perwatakalUlya telah dikena l pas ti. Tiga daripada

ciri-ciri perwatakan Introvert adalah Solitude, Inner Me, dan Th e Listener. Tambahan pu la,

penggunaan peranti Adobe Pholoshop CS6 telah digunakan untuk foto-manipulasi untuk

menghasilkan surreal photography. Hasil dapa tan yang dipero lehi diaplikasikan di dalam karya

yang bertajuk "Doorway to Introvert " .

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CONTENTS

Chapter 1: Introduction

10 Introduction

1 Background research 2

1.1.1 History of photography 3

1.1.2 SWTealism 4

1.1.3 Surrealism in photography 5-6

1.2 Research problem 6

1.3 Research question 7

1.4 Objective 7

1 .5 Research statemen ts 7

1.6 Hypothesis 8

1.7 Research interest 8

1. 8 Research scope 8

1.9 Conclusion 9

Chapter 2: Literature r eview

2.0 Introduction 10

2. 1 SWTealism as a concept and an art fonn 11- 12

2. 1.1 Automatism 12-13

2.1.2 Veristic surrealism 14

2.1 .3 Surrea l Photography 15-16

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2.2 Introvert 16-17

2.2. I Myth of introvert 17-18

2.3 Reference artist 18

2.3.1 Man Ray 19-20

2.3.2 Maurice Tabard 20-21

2.3.3 Erik Johansson 21 -23

2.3.4 Christopher McKenney 24-25

2.4 Installation idea 25 -30

2.5 Conclusion 30

Chapter 3: Research methodology

3.0 Introduction 31

3.1 Research design 32

3.2 Primary method 32

3.2.1 Observa tion 32-33

3.2.2 Experimentation 34

3.3 Secondary method 35

3.3. 1 Reading materi als 35

3.3.2 Internet 35

3.4 Conclusion 36

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Chapter 4: Research findings

4.0 Introduction 37

4. I Artwork process 38

4. I. I Pre-production 38-41

4. 1.2 Production shoo ting 41 -46

4.1.3 Post production 47

4.2 Artwork 47

4.2.1 Solitude 47-51

4.2.2 Inner me 51-53

4.2.3 The listener 54-56

4.2.4 Final artwork 56-58

4.3 Conclusion 59

Chapter 5: Conclusions

5.0 Conclusion 60-61

Reference 62-64

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LIST OF IMAGES

LIST PAGE

IMAGE 1 : Man Ray, Maquise Casib (1922) 6

IMAGE 2 : Salvador Dali, The Pers istence of Time (1 93 1) 12

IMAGE 3 : Joan Miro; Swallow, Love (1934) 13

IMAGE 4 : Joan Miro, the Birth of the World (1 925) 13

IMAGES : Man Ray, Rayog raphs (1926) 19

IMAGE 6 : Man Ray, Dora Maar (1936) 20

IMAGE 7 : Man Ray, j(j tty Jumps 20

IMAGES : Maurice Tabard, Room with Eye ( 1930) 21

IMAGE 9 : Maurice Tabard, Compos ition (1930) 21

IMAGE 10 : 10hansson E., The Architec t (2015) 22

IMAGE 11 : Johansson E. , Deep Cuts (2009) 22

IMAGE 12 : Johansson E., Nightma re Perspective (20 10) 23

IMAGE 13 : 10hansson E., Diamond in the Rough (20 13) 23

IMAGE 14 : Johansson E., Jmpact (20 16) 23

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IMAGE 15

IMAGE 16

IMAGE 17

IMAGE 18

IMAGE 19

IMAGE 20

IMAGE 21

IMAGE 22

IMAGE 23

IMAGE 24

IMAGE 25

IMAGE 26

IMAGE 27

IMAGE 28

IMA GE 29

IMAGE 30

IMAGE 31

: McKeJUley, Man and burn ing couch 24

: McKenney,Ghos tly portraits 25

: Johansson E., Cut Out (20 14) 27

: Waroquier J., The Weigh t of Time 27

: Paxton V., Miniature #2 28

: Sommeling A. , W ind 28

: Musselwhite H., Hansel and Gretel 28

: Musselwhi te H., Butterfly 29

: Musselwhite H., Owl 29

: Ki phuth A. , Tiny landscapes and creature in wooden boxes (20 15) 29

: Kiphuth A., Quiet (2015) 30

: Kiphuth A, The Meeting (2015) 30

: Close-up picture of an ear (The Listener) 42

: A person sitting on the floor (The Listener) 42

: A portrai t use in Inner Me 42

: A person sitti ng on a chair fo r Solitude 43

: Wooden floor 44

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IMAGE 32 : The Milky Way 44

IMAGE 33 : Astronaut 45

IMAGE 34 : Galaxy J 45

IMAGE 35 : City of New York 45

IMAGE 36 : A Desert Planet 46

IMAGE 37 : Galaxy 2 46

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LIST OF FIGURES

LIST PAGE

FIGURE 1 : Sketch of a person floats with balloon 38

FIGURE 2 : Sketch of a person in room (brain) 39

FIGURE 3 : Sketch of a person levitates in a room 39

FIGURE 4 : Sketch of the installation idea 39

FIGURES : Sketch of a girl and a book 40

FIGURE 6 : Sketch of an ear in a room (The Listener) 40

FIGURE 7 : Sketch of a girl pOI1rait (Inner Me) 40

FIGURES : Sketch ofa girl sitting on a planet (So lirude) 41

FIGURE 9 Solirude process 0 I 48

FIGURE 10 Soli rude process 02 48

FIGURE 11 Soli rude process 03 48

FIGURE 12 Solitude process 04 49

FIGURE 13 Solirude process 05 49

FIGURE 14 Soli rud e process 06 49

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FIGURE 15

FIGURE 16

FIGURE 17

FIGURE 18

FIGURE 19

FIGURE 20

FIGURE 21

FIGURE 22

FIGURE 23

FIGURE 24

FIGURE 25

FIGURE 26

FIGURE 27

FIGURE 28

FIGURE 29

FIGURE 30

FIGURE 31

Soli tude process 07 49

So litude process 08 50

Solitude process 09 50

Solitude process 10 50

Solitude process I I 50

Soli tude process 12 50

Solitude process 13 51

: Imler Me process 0 I 51

: Inner Me process 02 51

: Inner Me process 03 52

: Inner Me process 04 52

: Inner Me process 05 52-53

: Inner Me process 06 53

: Inner Me process 07 53

: Imler Me process 08 53

: The Listener process 01 54

: The Listener process 02 54

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FIGURE 32

FIGURE 33

FIGURE 34

FIGURE 35

FIGURE 36

FIGURE3?

FIGURE 38

FIGURE 39

FIGURE 40

F IGURE 41

F IGURE 42

: The Listener process 0 I 54

: The Listener process 02 55

: The Listener process 03 55

: The Listener process 04 55

: The Listener process 05 55

: The Listener process 06 56

: The Listener process 07 56

: Solitude fmal 57

: Inner me final 57

: The listener 58

: Final artwork 58

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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.0 Introduction

This study is to explore the application o f surreal photography to express the mind

of an introveI1. The fOCll S of this study is to understand more about Surrea lism in

representing the subconscious mind and its evo lution from painting to photography.

Based on these findings, an artwork is produce based on the understandiug of introvert

and surreal photography.

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1.1 Background Research

The combination of Surrealism and photography not only captures and create a

new form of att but it also conveys a deeper meaning about the unconsc ious mind of the

photographer or the artist. The understanding of how the unconsc ious mind works is to

understand the psychoanalyti c di stinction between secondary and primary process of

thinking. Secondary process is more toward reason, practicality, rat ionality, and logic .

This is th e mechanism of th e conscious mind . This process is taught while growing up in

the traditional forms of education along with the adaptation to the social worl d.

Meanwhile, focusing more on primary process thinking is when one is still inborn,

idiosyncratic, and more primal mode of experiencing the world , mostly ca tegori zed to the

unconscious as they grow into civilized adult beings. These processes continue to surface

in dreams. Freud (1900) considered this process as the ' royal road' to the unconscious

mind. The characteristic are primitive, entails emotions, defies reality, illogical , and reli es

on unusual associations between ideas and images, and it focuses on the experience of the

se lf or one's internal (Suler, 20 13).

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1.1.1 History of Photography

The history of photograph can be traced back to the early 18'h century, where the

invention of Obscura camera. Back in th e centwy, photography was made only for the

professionals and the rich but after George Eas tman started a company ca lled Kodak in the

1880s, photography was able to be used by public . Over time, this technology has also

evolved into somethi ng better and more advanced. With these advancements, the camera is

not only used to capture still images or videos but it can be used to crea te an artwork.

Photography can help to capture images that will retain memories that have built over the

years and through them the entire event and memories made can be remembered to every

single moment (Masoner, 20 16). Photography is the medium to represent an idea or a

concept. In art, detai l work and precision of a photograph can give the exact meaning that

the artist wa nts to present. Photography is thought to be the highest form of art because the

photographer needed to be a highly observant and an expeJ1ise in using photograph to

convey messages (Newha ll, 1988).

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1.1.2 Surrealism

Surrealism is the art of uniting the conscious and the lillconscious realms of experience

surreality, which the world of dream and fantasy would combine with the everyday nOlmal

world into an absolute reality. Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis wrote an articl e

called "The Interpretation of Dreams" in 1900 stated the theory on dreams and the

subconscious mind. His writing has a huge influence on Andre Breton, one of the leading

theorists of the Surrealism movement and the author of "Manifesto of Surrealism" in 1924.

Bretou (1924) stated that Surrealism is a representation of a complex reality of dream state

and the thought of one propose to express the subconscious mind. The Surrealist concept of

art is that the altwork is not basically perfect and self-contained work, but it is more to the

procedure and the ideas of creating the artwork itself (Leroy, 2006).

Pou lter (20 17) describe that Breton was the leader of the artistic movement attempted to

increase the mind 's potential by integrating th e separate states of dream and reality. The

surrealist aud his companiou are referring to Freud's work that wrote about free association,

dream ana lysis, and the unconscious so that they could discover new ways to liberate the

minds thoughts. They emphasized Surrealism is when the mind cou ld combine both rea l and

sun·eal inside a same frame, the elements not normall y found together to produce irrational

and amazing effects. Poulter also wrote that Breton includes the idea of the juxtapositions of

two or more or less distant realities in his manifesto. The more the relations between the

two juxtaposed realities is distant and true, the stronger the image will be and greater its

emotional po wer and poetic reality.

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1.1.3 Surrealism in Photography

One of the maj or revolutionary changes in the photography evo luti on was of the

introduction of Surrea lism in photography. At the early ages of photography, it was not

accepted as a form of art but reviewed as a copying effort. But Surreali sm in th e other hand

is the introduction of the "more than real" images to the art fonns .

Lombergar (2007) described that when Surrealism was introduced to photography, the art

criti cs never could imagine such a possibility. However, Man Ray, fa ther of surreal

photography, was able to change the belief with his artwork called Marquise Casili, 1922

(Image I), as it featured multiple eyes for the photography. Thus, it has proven that th ere

are chances for the possibility of surrealistic works.

Lombergar (2007) also stated that surrea list photographer in their early years mainly

perfo nned using different techniques to create the surreal effect. Examples are the use of

differential techniques of light and lenses, photomontage, multiple exposures, photogram,

and many more. It is interesting that Surrealism in photography has progressed so much

from its primitive stages. With new technology, the new generation photographers are

exposed with inunense opportunity to pOl1ray surreal photography even better.

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Image I : Man Ray, Maquise Casiti (1922). It tea lured multiple eyes for th e photography

and unintenti onal blur creale the suneal effect.

1.2 Research Problem

Prodger (2012) questions whether photography can be considered as an art. In the past

few decades, the idea of art photography is steadily been accepted to the ali society. The

problem for this resea rch is that most of the human population still sees photography as the

medium for self-entertairunent , to capture and record moments but not for the artistic

reason. Only tew express their arti stic values in photo graphy . Besides that, thi s study

focuses 0 11 the book writt en hy Cain (2012) about the myth of introvert that has been

circulating in th e society. The research tries to convey a message to th e audience not to

completely believe the myth of introverts. By this, the problems occ ur on the researcher

about how can surreal photography express the mind of introvert and debunking the myth

surrounding it. Thus, this research is expected to help for answering this research problems

and hypothesis.

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