The Wallflower Project
wall·flow·er
noun /wôl-flou(-ə)r/
2. A person who has no one to dance with or who feels shy, awkward, or excluded at a party
The body of work entitled, “The Wallflower Project”, examines the social stigma of being a “wallflower” through the use of portraits and installation. The word “wallflower” was first used in the early 1800’s to refer to a woman without a partner at a dance, presumably sitting against the wall. During that time period, wallcoverings, such as wallpaper, started to grow in popularity due to mass production and a repeal of a “Wallpaper Tax” in England. Informed by this history, I created double exposures (portrait + wallpaper) with both cardboard and digital pinhole cameras, to create an image whereby the subject literally fades into the background. The project then explored the portraits on actual wallpaper, installation, and video. The ghostly portraits require the viewer to take notice and spend time with the “wallflower”.