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Project 2: Witnessing – Matt Whitman

My mother used to scold me when I looked into a container as I was drinking, saying that I will get crosseyed if I keep doing that. I never listened to her because I loved looking into the cup or bottle when I was drinking something. A whole new world was presented before me when I looked through the cup, and it felt so personal. I wanted other people who never thought about this to have the same experience as me, so I took a picture from my perspective every time I drank. A whole day was dedicated for this project, and I recorded the time every time a picture was taken.

When I was thinking of different ways I could present this work, I realized that whenever I drink, I always have a napkin or tissue by me because I am clumsy, or sometimes to use as a coaster. This made me present the photos in a way a napkin is dispensed. The photos were printed on a very thin paper that was lightly tinted yellow to seem more like a napkin, and a digital time was written on the back, to indicate what time of the day it was. Then, the photos were folded like a real napkin, put in order, and put into a tissue box. This photo dispensing tissue box may be a one time thing, but I wanted the viewer to have an intimate experience with this artwork and make it unique, like a day. Once a day passes, people can’t go back in time, but we all have records through words or pictures like this.

Photos:

 

Progress in Sketchbook:

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