VISION

The different concubines featured in many of the tales face obstacles and difficulties as they navigate their own feelings and the complex politics of life in the palace. In one story, a concubine falls in love with an emperor who, in fact, was only using her to get what he wanted. As a result, the concubine feels stabbed in the back. Her experience of being betrayed feels like being drowned. In my project, I want to create an image that makes the audience feel the intensity of this despair that the women in these stories experienced.

I will use various materials and tools that will help me create the visual effects that I desire. For example, I will use reflective mylar sheets for my first set of photographs as a way to create the underwater rippling effect in my images. I will also use a fan to make the hair and dress blow in order to mimic the movement of someone underwater. For the sword dance, I will focus on the specific poses I teach the model.

STATEMENT OF INTENT

The working title of my project is The Dance of Broken Dreams. I want my audience to feel both the intense despair and the power that the women in ancient Chinese imperial courts possessed. I will get inspiration and develop my ideas by looking for photographs by 璇玄子拍汉服, whose images inspire with me ideas of how to style my models and create underwater visual effects.