Dolled Up Soul

I’d like to think of myself as a chameleon.

It’s not about necessarily blending in, it’s about finding yourself in the midst of the environment you’re in yet still possessing that authenticity you truly are.

I believe in hybrids. I believe that we as human beings may evolve onto a larger extend of beings. An organism with DNAs much more complex, with the presence of ecological niches that are suitable to adaptations and survivals in the world’s wondrous future that may be considered as a dystopia in our era.

Growing up watching Digimon, I found a huge fascination in monsters in animes. How they are portrayed in such gruesome way yet with a doze only Japan could comprehend. Such terrifying cuteness you just can’t get enough of. Animes, mangas, chibis, you name it. We’ve been missing out one important part the culture represents. A body modification, in another form, an imagery of a different portraiture of how we humans appear to be.

A friend of mine, Darren, who’s like half Japanese once told me one of the key parts of anime(s). During the bombing of Hiroshima, large majorities of the Japanese population were highly affected by the radiation. The tragedy led to many of their younger generations from the era being infected by radiations, causing disabilities. Talents producing movies and entertainments in that era popularized animes instead of movies featuring people, due to the large number of disabilities occurring. The birth of the culture then sprung, as finally the culture became a worldwide phenomenon. Apart from that, the fact that the Japanese had this aspiration of having Caucasian looks enhanced them on forming things they don’t have. Enormously gigantic eyes, definitely unnatural shades of hair, and even the fact that there are such abilities like levitation and flying, to alter the generations disabled. I’m not writing this in order to offend anyone, I’m trying to formulate this onto the idea I had for Dolled Up Soul.

Due to the presence of such disabilities occurring, the presence of anime lightens them up. Visions of a beautiful nirvanas. A true utopia for the mankind. From mermaid fins to metallic wings, these dreams are a collision of the dreams their generation had. As my hybrid series itself is an approach towards body modification, of having a “thick skin and an elastic heart” in the words of Sia herself. I’m doing a commentary on how our evolutions may lead on to be. To be forms that can withstand the limitations we face today. The forms that may be alien to us, but a true effective form that may or may not save race of mankind.

“Dolled Up Soul” brings up the topic of how something so cute, yet so complex; anime, could be portrayed in such way that many might find alien forms, but may lead onto our alien forms. The Japanese aspired for an anime figure, to withstand their disabilities. Through this I’m trying to combine the ideas of anime with such alien qualities mankind might develop on having in the future. A life form only we truly comprehend when we experience them.

You see, I see my visions in the form of particles, and I pour them onto The Photographic Sense. My belief on how mankind are fragile yet strong, and most o fall, we are always afraid of the things we don’t get to know. We are anciently modern, we are all authentic in the most inauthentic way, we are strong in a fragile way. We are living creatures with limitations with demands on a better life. We’re always looking for what’s heaven for us, then we settle down.

The images from “Dolled Up Soul” varies on different kinds of adaptations we humans may develop a tendency in. For example, having the third eye as a vision to withstand the stereotypical world and to dig deeper in someone’s soul that might be a lot more attractive than just physical appearances. The beheading of the head onto a gift as a beautiful remembrance of someone’s true form even after their passing. Visions of such intellectual beings with enormous eyes, all styled up in an anime-like package. A real life anime character. Might as well be your worst nightmare.

Justified through all of the imageries above, this commentary focuses on not just a shocking imagery and a background, it comes a climax point of view on the generation we live today. What would it have looked like in the previous 50 years? I believe we are nothing but freaks to our previous generations. We are the chic 2015 defines, and we perceive whatever happens in front might as well lead to a futuristic expedition of such futurism that only mankind might comprehend through the presence of experience.

In case I haven’t mentioned these, yes, other inspirations vary from FKA Twigs, Inez&Vinoodh, Margaret Keane’s paintings, and simply, many more!

Ultimately, my hybrid series always focuses on the body modification itself. I believe that plastic surgery had always been a huge issue in our society. It truly is a movement that has been controversial, how we are told and pressured to look like a particular shape or look, we are enforced to people’s opinions in a way. Through my hybrid series I’m trying to evoke a message that in fact, beauty can be dangerously addictive. Aesthetic values can come in any different forms possible, even to the extend of it’s ability or disability to charm and evoke. I believe that beauty comes in such wondrous matters one may or may not comprehend.

Visit “Michelle Wonderful Days” on youtube to watch Emmanuela Michelle’s (the girl from this shoot) vlogs. She might upload the Dolled Up Soul shoot video up soon!.

Hi UNIONS!

Along February I’ve encountered so many exciting news. One of them is the fact that I am Cleo Pure Water’s “#CleoInLove” winner with my Valentine Entry. You guys might’ve seen the images from my instagram. There had been so many positive auras around The Photographic Sense lately, which I truly am grateful for. I’ve never really had a commercial Indonesian perspective surrounding my art, so this time around it’s pretty interesting seeing my works being promoted onto a different scope. I have even more interesting and cool news coming up. This year might just be more explosive than I expected. Stay tuned. Xo

(anyways I’ll be quite busy on the upcoming months, so maybe this is my last post before like I graduate. Maybe. Just maybe).

THE PHOTOGRAPHIC SENSE

PAR. REINHARDT KENNETH

FACE. EMMANUELA MICHELLE

MAKE UP / HAIR. VALENCIA YONG