Fear and phobias

Ever since I can remember I have had a strong fear of snakes, which often lead me to encounter uncomfortable situations. Even looking at a picture of them horrified me, and that’s when I realized it was no longer a fear but a phobia. This is mainly what inspired my exhibition, focusing on a vast range of phobias people commonly have. In researching why our minds tie such strong emotions to unnecessarily dangerous things, I discovered that these fears can be ingrained in our subconscious or formed by our conscious brains. In fact, some phobias may also be learned through classical conditioning, where a person associates an object or situation with a traumatic or negative event and the fear becomes ingrained in the person’s subconscious mind. However, in some cases they can also be consciously developed as a result of exposure to information or media that portrays a particular object or situation as dangerous. This explains that phobias can be influenced by humans, both in development as well as in resolution.

I selected the most common phobias in order to reach the maximum number of people. I would like my audience to consider the deeper significance of each phobia. I don’t necessarily wish for people to experience pure terror when viewing my Exhibition, but rather come to the realization that these phobias are linked to each other by one simple concept; the reality of fear is that we don’t actually fear the thing itself but rather the possible conclusion: death.

The two most significant works of my exhibition are the ones that highlight what overcoming a phobia might feel like. Exposure is the first artwork that appears in my Exhibition, and it is a photography project that highlights the vulnerability and strength it takes to face one’s fears. Vulnerability is crucial to the process of overcoming one’s fear, and I used my wrists and ankles (my weakest body parts) to communicate this message. The second, Silver Lining, is positioned as the last artwork in my Exhibition and my intention with this artwork is to communicate that fear is often in the mind, and in order to truly overcome their fear, they will also have to be willing to change a part of themselves, too, bringing my viewer to the realization that the phobia is inside of them and not in front.

All my works will be between the starting and ending points: Exposure, Silver Lining. I wish for the viewer’s emotional connection with my work to gradually increase from start to end. I will do so by giving a sense of realization of the concept of phobias. Each one of my works represent a concrete phobia whilst having a secondary hidden meaning behind the abstract concept of fears. In such a way, the audience will have a clear vision of how one perceives their sense of inferiority in the face of a phobia that makes them feel so small in comparison. Bringing them through a journey that will either teach them how to overcome it, or perceive a similar sensation.