keywords_
Joyce Lin
13
05.16 -05.26
小 路 上 藝 文 空 間
Todear Alternative Exhibition Space
Origin
"Keywords" is a photography series basic on the case study of prostitutes' issues. It investigated people's stereotypes of prostitutes and researched the truth of them. The research process had three steps from issues research, object observation, to the interview of a former legal prostitute. It developed to the conclusion that prostitutes' image is negative to most people, and it makes people generate the prejudice and stereotype to prostitutes without understanding. This phenomenon is the most critical reason that makes prostitutes' life worse and worse.
Concept
When we search for an object we don't really know what it is, we will try some keywords to describe it, and then get the results immediately and deďŹ ne it. But can the searching results be able to represent the whole object? Whenever we mention "prostitutes", what emerge are always the extremely negative images in our mind. These images not only break the communication between them and us, but also make their lives much more difďŹ cult.
introduction
We often use the imagination and prejudice to depict their world before understanding it. If we type "prostitute" as the searching keyword, we will get the results which look so negative, but the results can't represent how the people are who engage in sex work.
"Keywords" is a series of photography imitating pictures of the image bank's searching results. The model was a real middle-aged prostitute, and she was photographed without whole face. Each photograph has a source printscreen picture of the image bank website, which has an image and a group of searching keywords. These keywords are the elements in daily life including character, living needs, atmosphere, existence, and body parts.
To conceal the model’s identity, the keywords, searching results, photographs have no direct connection to “prostitute” but some daily life elements, which will be the symbols when we mention prostitution. People would guess the model’s identity through the keywords and the photographs, and the answer would be in the final piece, a QR code image.
The QR code links to an image with the answer “She is a prostitute.” and the model’s portrait. People would never see her face but mosaics on her face because the mosaic is always used to hide prostitutes’ faces through the media. The whole series doesn't present prostitutes’ general images. Prostitutes' images will be generated by people themselves, and make the contrast between before and after in people’s mind.
Result
People left many different keywords before they knew the model’s identity. To search to the model, people would use the keywords about appearance, atmosphere, age, events, situation, characters and so on.
This way could let people to observe and think more carefully instead of judging by intuition. People were surprised after knowing the model was a prostitute because what they saw was different from what they knew. ( This the picture showing the model’s identity. )
The route of the exhibition led people to watch the works, guess the model’s identity, and ďŹ nally scan the QR code getting the answer.
The route started from area A, to area B and area C.
Work Display
Exhibition
close -up