Ashley Kuttler

Artist Statement

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     The idea behind this photo is a person's escape from responsibility and reality. Going into nature and a peaceful environment helps people to relax and reflect on their chaotic lives. People need an escape in order to keep themselves sane. The ukulele represents how music can be a source of escape for people. Music allows the mind to wonder and evoke happy memories. Together the peaceful environment and the ukulele show a person's figurative escape from the real world. 

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     When taking this photo, I wanted the environment for this photo to be in nature and to be very simple so the focus would be on the character. I chose to have the character sitting on a blanket so she would stand out from the background more. Originally I did not plan on making this photo in black and white but after messing around in Photoshop, I found that this photo actually looks really good in black and white. I also added a vignette to this photo which darkens the corners of it. The darker corners represent the things the character is escaping from such as stress, school, and drama.  

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     A lot of people can relate to this photo. One of my favorite things to do when I am stressed is to go outside and get fresh air or listen to music and I feel that many people are the same way. This photo combines both of those activities. Overall, I really like this final photo and how it fits with the idea of escape. 
 

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