Ashley Kuttler

Artist Statement 

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    People’s reaction to danger comes from the brain's perception of that danger. For my photo I wanted to focus on how someone's view of a potentially dangerous situation leads to fear. My photo is about phobias and how someone with a phobia views something as dangerous even if it can not actually cause them harm. About 19.2 million Americans suffer from a specific phobia and it is very interesting how these phobias form and how a person’s brain reacts to these stimuli.

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    My photo shows a girl hiding her face from the giant butterflies that are coming towards her. This photo depicts someone who has Lepidopterophobia, which is a phobia of butterflies. The girl’s body language is her hugging her legs and hiding her face to show that she is scared. I chose for the background of the photo to be at a park because often times phobias form when people are young. The butterflies that I photoshopped are exaggerated in proportion to go along with the idea that phobias exaggerate the potential danger that is present. The large size of the butterflies also symbolize how the character in the photo views them as scary.

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    There are thousands of known phobias however I chose the fear of butterflies because it is something that many people would not typically consider dangerous but is seen that way to the person with that phobia. Overall, I think my photo represents my initial idea well and is interesting for others to look at.