“We’re all products of what we want to project to the world. Even people who don’t spend any time, or think they don’t, on preparing themselves for the world out there – I think that they have for their whole lives groomed themselves to be a certain way, to present a face to the world”

–Cindy Sherman

 

Heavily influenced by the photographic works of Cindy Sherman, the short video piece, “Projected Image”, depicts a woman crafting and manipulating her face to present to the public.

 

The audio in this piece is appropriated from a YouTube makeup tutorial and three different songs about feeling beautiful. The subject of the video seems to be following the tutorial, but applies the makeup heavily and haphazardly, resulting in a clownish appearance. The act of putting on makeup solely to build an image to present to the world is similar a clown performing in a circus—everything is done for the entertainment and pleasure of others. The loops created in the piece suggest that the yearning for the approval of others is an endless cycle. As social, pack animals, humans strive to be accepted by their peers and will do anything to fulfill that need.