1
2
3
4
AGE IN NATURE
5
Age In Nature Embracing Natural Ageing
Active lifestyles, healthy living and natural ageing is what brings the flat age society together. Ridiculously expensive moisturisers stinking of chemicals have been shunned for fresh, vibrant fruit and vegetables and walks in the fresh air. The baby boomers are no longer afraid of ageing, instead opting to age gracefully, embracing their deep wrinkles and salt and pepper hair. Ageing is a natural process and as the baby boomers embrace organic healthy lifestyles, portraying their ageing process through abstract images of trees, plants and food to bring together a series of photographs that describes the beauty of natural ageing whilst incorporating the other aspects of The Flat Age Society.
These images are meant to be thought provoking encouraging the viewer to see the notions of wrinkles in the delicate cracks in an egg shell, or age spots in discolouration of bark on a tree. Looking at natural ageing as a convoluted happening as a result of living your life to the full instead of viewing wrinkles as a horrific occurrence that signifies you are getting old. Thinking about how intricate the process of ageing is, and thinking about the memories associated with each wrinkle- a grandchild, a new home, a bereavement- encourages the viewer re-think their pre conception of “age� and instead influences them to embrace their wrinkles as a sign of achievement.
OPPOSITE PAGE: A poem by an unknown author, describing the mentality thought by many baby boomers, who have decided they arent going to start slowing down as they get older.
6
First, I was dying to finish high school and start college. And then I was dying to finish college and start working. And then I was dying to marry and have children. And then I was dying for my children to grow up and get out the house. And then I was dying to retire. And now, I am dying‌ and suddenly I realize I forgot to live.
7
ABOVE: Fragile egg shells symoblise the fragility of skin and how it ages over time .
8
ABOVE: The cracked egg shells also symbolise the desire to lead healthier lifestyles eating fresh natural food.
9
10
OPPOSITE: The gills in a mushroom darken with age, with the intricate folds symbolising how wrinkles form with age.
ABOVE: Baby boomers want to eat healthier, shuning anti-aging creams in the hope that a healthy lifestyle will let them see old age in gracefully.
11
ABOVE: The complex structure that this plant is made up of shows that the aging prosess is carefully considered by nature.
ABOVE: Each wrinkle on this tree is a sign of how this tree has survived each year.
BELOW: Intricate folds in this plant symbolise age, with the texture being similar to skin as it ages.
12
ABOVE: The spikes on the branches ensure it is protected from the weather and predators, just like skin protects us.
13
14
15
PREVIOUS PAGE: Complex layers form from bark, creating intricate designs diffeerentiating each tree from another.
BELOW: The complex wrinkles the bark forms gives every tree its own identity.
16
ABOVE: The different colours in the bark show the different layers, just like skin. The silver bits of the bark are the cambium, the part of a tree that helps it grow over many years.
17
18
19
PREVIOUS: White feathers commonly signify fresh start in a spiritual sense, as well as youth, love, lightness, and flight.
BELOW: As well as representing a fresh start, something that many baby boomers wish to do. White feathers also symbolise the afterlife, and the fragility of life.
20
ABOVE: As skin gets older, it becomes more delicate and fragile, it is no longer seen as as soft as a feather but is thought of as rough and textured.
ABOVE: As hair ages, the colour changes from vibrant and thick to finer and more silver toned.
21
ABOVE: This tree is dying because too much f its outer bark has been removed, the cambium is too exposed.
W
22
BELOW: Instead of trying to change their appearance with creams and surgery, members of the flat age soceity are embracing nature and allowing their skin to age naturally.
23
ABOVE: Similar to the tree bark, the coffee and the leather both age with time.
BELOW: An up-close shot of the dying tree to show the intricacies of its bark, after growing for many years.
24
BELOW: Another up-close shot of the tree.
25
BELOW: The amazing textures and different shedding seen on this tree shows how nature rids its self of un-needed skin, much like our own bodies do, especially as we get older.
26
ABOVE: A knot on this tree has formed to look like an eye, looking out at nature.
ABOVE: The different colours seen on this tree help to show the progress of baby boomers moving from a plain, anti-aging world to that of living a healthy natural life, embracing aging instead of trying to turn back time.
27
28
ABOVE ALL: Nature is thoughtful in design, with each plant, animal and person having different skin types, skin tones and textures to help them survive in the enviroment they were born in.
PREVIOUS: This pantone colour sums up this page perfectly, with more baby boomers choosing greener lifestyles.
29
30
OPPOSITE: Whilst some plants age over time, others reveal new “skin� under their old skin, which is now ready to protect the plant for the next few years.
BELOW: The same thought can be applied to our own skin, as we age our skin greadually becomes more wrinkled, which has appeared after all the years of our younger skin protecting us.
31
ABOVE: Just like plants, our skins show signs of aging not only in wrinkles but also age spots, veins and the texture.
32
BELOW: Each line tells a story and is a sign that a person has lived a long life, in the same way that tree rings represent age.
ABOVE: Although baby boomers are no longer interested in anti-aging they still care about their bodies, taking care to eat healthily in the hope that it will show on the outside.
BELOW: More up-close shots highlighting the compelxity of aging and wrinkles.
33
ABOVE: My hands are not rough because they lack moisture but because I have picked up the pieces in my childrens lives so many times.
BELOW: My wrinkles are not a hinderance, but a stamp of approval from nature, that I have lived my life as it intended.
34
ABOVE: “Grey hair is not a sign of age, but a sign of knowledge and wisdom”
BELOW: The lines by my eyes don’t signify how long I have been here, but symbolise all of the wonderful things I have seen.
35
36
Colour Play
37
Colour Play Let your personality explode.
In an effort to stand out from the crowd and convey explosive personalities, beauty is becoming a way of expression and identity for many. In this polarity paradox, people are embracing their natural beauty and shunning make up in an effort to portray a natural healthy lifestyle. Whereas others use make up as a sign of character and existence. Whilst some stand out from the crowd because they wear so little, others stand out from the crowd because they are the opposite. Colour play is no longer for children. Paint, glitter and sequins are a staple in make up bags because of their power to transform, hair no longer has to be one colour, and eyebrows are there to draw attention. Freckles can be drawn on in bright pink pen, and lips are no longer limited to being redfood is experimented on and becomes texturised and coloured-in. Vibrant blues and eye-catching yellows combine to create stunning visual displays of personality and individuality. Hair becomes a pillar for self expression and non conformity whilst freckles make you stand out from the crowd. Whether you embrace your natural beauty or you communicate a vibrant personality through purple hair, it is all about being proud of who you are and being confident.
38
ABOVE: Brightly coloured hair slides contrast with the natural beauty of freckles.
BELOW: The contrast between the two can be seen more clearly and the colours shine through.
39
ABOVE: The stark contrast between the peircing blue eyes and the freckles show how beautiful natural beauty is.
40
BELOW: A closer look at how different each freckle is, and how there are different textures and tones in each one.
ABOVE: The stunning natural beauty of freckles can be seen more clearly, alongside the fresh-faced skin.
41
ABOVE: This close up shot shows the diffeent colours blended together to create the gorgeous blue in the eye.
OPPOSITE: This pnatone colour really brings out the blue in the eyes.
42
43
ABOVE: This trend is portrayed by many millenials, who are trying to maintain healthy lifestyles by eating healthy foods such as this banana.
44
BELOW: The vibrant colour of the skin can be seen in this shot, as well as the texture of the protective skin.
45
46
OPPOSITE: The different tones of blue seen in these crayons show how different something can be upclose, when they appear similar from a distance
BELOW: An upclose shot of the crayons
47
BELOW: Eyeshadow is no longer for eyelids. Choose two contrasting colours and shade away your eyebrows and under your eye.
48
49
ABOVE: Layering contrasting shades of eyeshadows over each other creates a mesmorising look as the colours begin to bleed into each other.
50
BELOW: Turquoise blue eyehadow was pressed onto a clear gloss before yellow eyeshadow was layered on top, allowing the three colours to work together to create a harmonising trio of colours.
51
52
53
PREVIOUS: Not satisfied with expessing oneself, people have started to experiment with beautifying food, such as this banana.
BELOW: Expression isnt just for people, show off how much flavour your banana punches and make your lunch more exciting by covering it with glitter
54
55
56
57
PREVIOUS: Sexualisation of food is the basis of making it more attractive, and making it more Instagram worthy.
58
ABOVE: In a soceity where appearance is viewed highly, changing oneself on the outside to appear more astheticlly pleasing doesn’t mean you’ve changed on the inside too.
BELOW: A close up shot of the banana showing the contrast between the decorated outside and the organic natural inside.
59
60
OPPOSITE: Top knot buns and glittered scalps tops the agenda for fesival beauty.
BELOW: Bright, eyecatching colours are making a comeback.
61
ABOVE: As shown on the previous page, glittered scalps stand out from the crowd and allow the wearer to express themselves.
62
63
ABOVE: Moving on from Dip-Dye hair, the glitter dip is the next big thing, combining two contrasting colours to create an eye catching medley of tones.
64
65
66