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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Two: Travel Incongruities > Mannequin, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
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22-SEP-2011

Mannequin, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011

Mannequins are often incongruous, this one particularly so. I exposed on the sculpted white face, allowing the richly colored and textured costume to fade gradually into the dark doorway behind it.
The face and feet seem to be detached, floating in space, bringing an ethereal touch of additional incongruity to the image. The green column that rises beside the mannequin seems to stretch the image vertically, adding to the illusion.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2
1/500s f/6.3 at 78.0mm iso160 full exif

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Phil Douglis06-May-2018 22:55
I intended the shadows to interrupt the flow of elements, breaking them up into pieces to separate the head from the feet, and make the mannequin seem to become a disembodied object, floating in space. As for negative spaces here, If you look at the space running vertically between the arm of the mannequin and the light greenish vertical band, you will see a sliver of brownish color. That space crackles with tension, and energizes the entire image. That is a good example of "negative space." Generally speaking, negative space tends to separate one element from another, and when such spaces are clean and close, they add energy to an image.
Merri 05-May-2018 23:41
The acid "wash" on the upper part of the pants becomes more than a design element in the clothing; it provides the connection between the feet and the head. I don't think such a connection detracts from the overall "floating in space" element though, but makes it look even more detached to me. I guess because there is space between the feet, the acid washing, and the head. Are these spaces example of "negative space"?
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