Essay DRAFT

Samantha Everton Essay PLAFT
Intro:
Samantha Everton’s collection of underwater images labeled “Utopia”, displays various elements of technology. Everton uses technology to demonstrate elements of surrealism, to enhance the meaning and to create a greater depth within the series. The images reveal underwater worlds and describe a place of silent oppressive beauty, however the use a minimal approach to technology adds to the raw, venerable feeling felt throughout. . Revealing that the works are primarily concerned with depicting an untouchable reality.

Everton use’s a very minimal approach to the use technology and the use very little technology to enhance and depth to her works minimal. Everton strayed away form previous displays that often took 10 hours and 12 different lights to shoot just one photograph. For the initial photo’s, Everton used a basic, plastic, underwater camera somewhat taking a serendipitous approach towards the series. Everton somewhat relinquished all control and relied on nature to provide light for these pieces instead of the 8-12 lights often used in previous works. Eventually, after scores of different film type Everton settled on a Fuji Pro 160c that offered a fine-grain film with a dynamic range best suited to underwater lighting and conditions. Through a minimal approach Everton is able to enhance the meaning of each work as it as to the raw complexity of each image. In each image it is obvious that she has used some sort of alteration of the contrast and brightness. Everton uses the positioning of the subject and light to create level of depth in each image. This technique is applied in the image labelled “peace”, through light and the postion of the subject she is able to create a sense of depth that enhances the meaning of the image. Everton also uses basic visual language to enhance her images, such as a contrast of the colours red and in “solitude” to create a level of unity and balance. The colours are somewhat murky and desaturated, contributing to the intense feeling of foreboding that is cast by the image.Along with visual language, Everton is able to encapsulate meaning through subject matter and technology.


Everton uses subject matter and the environment to contribute to the surrealistic qualities of her images. Surrealism is a 20th-century avant-garde movement in art that sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind, for example by the irrational juxtaposition of images. Everton describes her works as featuring elements of surrealism “My photographic art is primarly concerned with depicting an untouchable reality with elements of magic realism, I put together images that show quiet introspective and unconscious moments of life and our relationships”. Through surrealism Everton tries to evoke emotion, psychological and intellectual qualities. It is evident that within the series this woman has escaped through water into a different world but has not found peace. The water is somewhat a metaphor for the divison between the external and internal world of our minds creating that element of surrealism. Everton explains this feeling in article for the Dickerson Gallery “I wanted to show the impossibility of total escape…we may be able to withdraw our bodies and our mind from the world but we cannot break away from our doubts and fears”.

The use of visual language and the oppressive, surrealistic atmosphere create a deeper meaning for each piece of which enables the viewer to articulate a response. Through interviewing many people on Everton’s works, to help the viewer understand the pieces. Everton reveals, “The underwater worlds show in “Utopia” are a place of silent oppressive beauty.” This feeling has been felt throughout the comments made by various veiwers. Anastasia Ward reveals her thoughts on the pieces “The raw and openness of the subject also suggests the naturalness… this work explores ideas of the subconscious, or developmental transition, or perhaps an intermingling of the two; but there is definitely a relaxed sense of entering unknown territory. “ It is evident that Everton is able to create the same ideas a views of her works with her audiences.