Jack Taylor

This brief series of illustrations draw inspiration from various backgrounds. Posters taken from the French New Wave are placed on the walls, paying tribute to the 20th century experimental cinematic movement and its characteristics. Mirrors are modelled as portals to other dimensions, symbolising notions of escapism. The mirror was a prominent feature for the hours spent self reflecting under the lockdown measures. The features included in these illustrations made me consider using film as an experimental medium to discuss similar themes.

This experimental film explores themes surrounding the perception of my own identity which has been heightened under the social restrictions of the last year. By re-evaluating the narratives of previous artworks and inserting them into a moving image format, this body of work not only alters our experience of temporality in a fashion similar to that of the pandemic but also pays tribute to the perspective of my own heritage and contemporary male identity, frame by frame.
This project reveals a surreal presentation of juxtaposing imagery and symbolism representative of my altered understanding of male identity in today’s society. Harsh industrial environments are contrasted against natural landscapes for this exact reason, whilst paying tribute to my family’s north eastern industrial background and history. Additionally, this regional investigation displays a series of liminal qualities created through the inclusion of provincial seaside depictions and altering natural states. This underlying liminality, despite being a continual theme throughout the work, subtly presents notions surrounding personal collective memory and the transition between my physical and mental perceptions of identity as well.