Victoria Tsui

While photographing domestic spaces, the lines between “window” and “mirror” blended into each other. When working with such familiar spaces to me, it felt almost impossible to not show any subjectivity in the “window” photographs. With this realization, my goal shifted from making the “windows” emotionless and rigid, to embracing the emotion that was captured, while still keeping the photographs at eye level and from one or two perspective views. The aim of the “mirror” photographs was to create similar compositions as the “windows” but in a more dreamlike and nostalgic quality. The “window” photographs were captured on a digital camera and the “mirror” photographs were taken on a Holga camera.

The “window” photographs reflect the spaces of the home that I grew up in. Their colors are able to bring clarity to the photograph, and tell a different story than that of the “mirror” pictures. They use different elements in the composition to connect to another to feel sequential. Although there are no people in the photographs, details of inhabitation are included to suggest that there is a human presence there. To me, the “window” photographs seem to be compositions that others can understand, while the “mirror” photographs are more of my personal take on the spaces, and more of compositions that I find easy to understand compared to an outsider. While the “window” series is more memory-like, the “mirror” series is more dream-like. 

The “mirror” photographs attempt to reconstruct space using the same elements from the window photographs. By collaging, overlapping, and repeating spaces out of chronological order, the sense of direction is different. This gives the photo a more atmospheric quality representing more of a dream. The black and white tone and the unclear quality is able to withhold information and create a more confusing message. Although there are no people in the competition, there are small details of movement and objects that could suggest presence. In a different way than the “window” series, the details are not as clear and are of a more eerie nature. This project was a way to share personal experiences without explanation, and to question whether “objective” actually exists in architecture and photography.