"Growing Up" - Part of Independent Study

Growing Up

These images represent the things I hang on to as ways or reasons to remain a child. All these things, and more, have caused me to behave immaturely or have given people reason to question my sanity.  The superheroes, the cartoons, the dolls, the toys, extraterrestrials, the imagination and fascination with magic are some of my favorite things in life. One cannot leave those supremely important elements behind. One may leave childhood, but the land of imagination must never be lost.

    Here the heroes, colliding with the worlds of literature that I have devoured since a child and beyond. The humor and dream-like qualities make one question the image. One wants to challenge the absurdity, but also join in the odd adventure unfolding. Soldiers advance over the spines of old novels, as comic book characters become models of vanity, melodramatics, and fear. These iconic figures of the cinema are now laughable, but one would still join in the game for the fun of it. The light here is very dramatic and spooky, arranged to simulate the look when one turns on a single light while others are asleep. The toys enjoy their revelry while humans are unaware. The light is used to produce deep shadows, highlight the edges of the toys, and create a surreal mood.

Perhaps the process of playing with the toys and creating these scenes made me more of a child than these images declare childishness. Regardless, they are reminders of what we use to enjoy and what we miss as sleeping adults.