“We love our audience” is a series of 50 photos representing male actors in different psychological and physical suffering and distress. The different photos are presented in uniqueness which has different meanings, as well as representation. These photos are different in that they render different meaning based on the various features that are in the gallery. These features define the uniqueness of the photos in message delivery.
In any image, colors used speak a lot about the image. Color is extremely fundamental in driving the message home in any form of photo. In this case, Dawn Mellor made a brilliant choice of colors pass the message to the viewers of these photos. One of the features of use of color that he chose is the dullness of the colors used in the gallery. This feature of colors brings out the real message in the photos as intended by Dawn. Dullness in the photo indicates distress among the actors involved in the photos (Mellor, 2010). This is a sign of discomfort which results to distress.
Presence of different colors in the photo brings out intensive meaning of these photos. For example, in several faces included in the gallery there are faces painted red. This is an extremely significant color which represents the blood in the life of a human being. The covering of the face of an individual by blood also has a unique representation which may dictate the situation that the individual was facing (Mellor, 2010). In this case, these individuals were in deep pain was as a result of the intensive beating that the individual may have undergone.
Some faces show a mixture of colors which is also a technique that the artist sorts to employ to deliver his message (Yasuda, 2007). This is a sign of discomfort that these individuals were undergoing. This color application technique shows that these individuals had undergone intensive beatings, which resulted to the destruction of their faces. The different colors may represent the spots that were left on their faces as a result of thorough beating.
There are some faces with more dark colors than others in the gallery. This is also extremely significant in the representation of different types of people involved in distress and the pain that these individuals were facing. Some are presented as black while others are presented in white colors, which are indications for different races. This shows that distress has no favor in terms of color or personality (Yasuda, 2007). All individuals are equal and are likely to suffer equal problems.
One of the photos represents an individual who is using a white piece of clothe to wipe his face. White is extremely significant in areas where there is no peace. It shows a cry for peace. In this case, the photo may represent cry for peace which is not found among individuals in the photo. This is a sign of the intensive pain that the individuals in the photo were undergoing (Mellor, 2010).
Some of these photos show faces that are destroyed to extent of tampering with the facial identity of the individual. This is a sign of pain that the victim underwent.
Some of the faces are also covered with bandages which are also significantly used in the photo. Bandage is usually used in dressing a wound or a cut to prevent it from contact with dirt as well as prevent excessive bleeding. A cut indicates the presence of discomfort as a result of a fight between individuals. It represents the result of a conflict which is sorrow. Therefore, the use of bandage shows that these individuals were involved in a fight that may have involved mercilessness resulting to cut which cause the excessive bleeding (Mellor, 2010).
The other feature that Dawn employs in his work is facial expressions. Photos in the gallery are uniform in the kind of facial expression they relay to viewers. With a critical look at all photos, the message of pain is relayed. It is shown through expressions by the mouths of the different characters in the photos. Some of them are drawn with their mouths wide open which is extremely significant to the viewers in terms of the message that the photos carry (Mellor, 2010).
The wide open mouth may represent pain among the people in the photo. This is a common expression in photos and represents pain and agony among individuals in the photo. The mouth may also represent an individual who is in extreme pain making him cry as a sign of pain (Mellor, 2010).
The artist was also extremely keen in the presentation of eyes for individuals in the gallery. Eyes may be extremely significant in the relay of messages. There different expressions indicated by different eyes in the Photos that represent the situations that the different individuals in the photo were facing. At some points, the eyes are wide open to indicate that individuals were responding to a moment of pain that was subjected to them. Some of the eyes represent shock through the manner in which they are opened (Yasuda, 2007).
The artist has chosen different techniques, which have made him deliver the message as intended on distress as a result of pain. The most significant tools that he has used in the delivery of his message include colors and facial expressions.
Work Cited
Mellor, Dawn. "ArtSlant - Dawn Mellor." ArtSlant - Contemporary Art Network. N.p., 12 Sept. 2010. Web. 27 Mar. 2013. http://www.artslant.com/global/artists/show/22581-dawn-mellor
Yasuda, Maiko. Color and Facial Expressions. Michigan: ProQuest, 2007. Print.
