Silent Psycho

This project was designed to subtlety shock, scare and make the audience aware of their relationship with horror. Through discrete prop placement, referencing existing horror conventions, I aim to create photographs inspired by contemporary and vintage horror themes.

In doing this, I like to introduce subtle elements into my images, such as placing red balloons in a forest to suggest links to Stephen King’s IT and using light as a silhouette to create an atmosphere of fear and dread in the viewer. Although I’m interested in horror, I’m also interested in how an audience reacts to different levels of fear within the image. I’m aiming to build tension within the image using levels of anticipation through reimagining famous horror conventions.

This approach will focus on revealing less of the main horror ideas, such as blood and gore and instead aim to provoke fear through the mere presence of something, as opposed to the full picture being revealed. Within this project key influences included Joshua Hoffine and Kyle Thompson.

Kyle Thompson has informed many aspects of the project through his use of lighting to create a sinister atmosphere which is also supported by props such as red balloons, single models and silhouetted figures. In terms of the body of work, the decision to enter three images as a triptych would help the audience to imagine a narrative running through the photos.

The audience’s role is to bridge the gap between each image, creating their own horror scenario. My progression after graduating is to seek employment within the industry and to continue utilising my existing skills.