Connecting Essay 2

For this image I have attempted to use photomontage in order to blend elements of the real world with a world that is entirely fictional. I used a miniature model of the iconic batmobile which I blended in with an image of New York. The image contains a cast amount of visual information within the frame. People are gathering all around while vivid colours from the surrounding environment and lights offer connotation of a heightened reality. I wished to use this image as a statement against hyperreality. The location chosen within the image is famed for mass advertising and media related spectacle. I chose to bring an element from the fictional world such as the batmobile into the real world. This simulates the effects of hyperreality as the image intentionally makes aspects of the fictional world and the real world start to overlap. This relates to hyperreality as the audience typically begin to blur the lines within their understanding of what is real and what is simulated by the media.

This image from Cedric Delsaux uses photomontage in order to blend something extraordinary with reality. The chosen base image of a vacant area creates a heavy contrast with the otherworldly sight of the AT-AT model. A low angle has been purposely chosen by the photographer in order to create a more intense sense of scale within the frame, to heighten contrasts of scale further. The use of bland colours within the image imply a sense of realism within the image, instead of attempting to evoke a sense of surrealism. This implies that the real world is much more bland in comparison to the fantasy world of Star Wars. Delsaux uses aspects of his environment such as the fog in order to add to the effect of his image. The fog creates a silhouette of the model which obscures some of the structure. This evokes connotations of mystery surrounding the subject while also making it more intimidating, providing a sense of large scale to the AT-AT.

Both of these images link under a number of different aspects. The two images utilise the same effect of photomontage and use similar effects by incorporating models into larger environments. The two images use the environment of the subject to help make the effect seem more credible. For example, in my image I use the lights of the signs and simulate the effect of them on the car by changing the saturation of the image. I also simulated a real world asset of fire in order to make the car seem like a real, working machine. Cedric Delsaux uses the fog within this environment in order to provide scale and blend the AT-AT into the background gradually. Both of these images can be argued to depict aspects of hyperreality. The images depict aspects of a simulated world being blended into the real environment in order to imply how the real world and hyperreality can be difficult to distinguish between. Deksaux's image argues another aspect of hyperreality as he depicts our reality to be very bland compared to the fictional world of Star Wars through the use of colour.