Szalai Eszter photo

27/12/2021

30/09/2021

Artificial Nature
2016

The connection between man and nature has always been one of the most intriguing questions in landscape portrayal. I have always tried to answer questions such as, how can one discover the elements in a constructed landscape which can be a base for understanding themselves? And, to what extent can one alienate himself from nature? Introversion, Autotelism, and Withdrawal are just mere examples of how men get by the perspective of a passing.

When considering a long-term study of the photos, the viewer is left alone and overcome by a feeling of being cut out from existence. The effect of the various shadows creates an incomprehensible and perplexed state where men can retreat from reality and find themselves in the fabulous scenery.

Overall, this questions the vision of a natural spectacle. The lighting of the Moon indicates this. The light from the Moon is the element that amplifies the perception, contrary to naturalism. In my diploma, the man is not entirely displayed. However, his presence can be perceived by the creation of the scenery. One is there merely as a bystander. If the viewer can abstract himself from the setting of the photo, how it was taken, and any emotions or thoughts portrayed by the photographer, the viewer might become the creator of the photos. It is only then that the viewer may find connections between himself and the scenery.

23/09/2021

Infinity
2016

What if I could bring the stars from the sky? That was the leading question swimming into focus during this research. I mean, where does this term come from, and what is its significance? As a result, I examined light pollution a great deal. I was incredibly interested in what it would look like when there are no stars in the sky.
At first, Astronomers drew my attention towards light pollution. It is known that light indeed spreads towards the sky because of irresponsible and excessive usage.
A leading factor into why we can hardly see the stars from towns and cities today.

The observation of the stars is nearly simultaneous with human evolution. Scholars have continuously observed the sky and have tried to draw a parallel between planetary and heavenly events. The motion of the stars has always been an object of attention since Antiquity. The entire sky divides into 88 constellations and additionally divides into 12 areas around the ecliptic. It is from this that the 12 zodiac signs emerged.

The reasoning behind why I chose the signs of the zodiac was because it is an existing structure in the sky, and curiously, it only lasts for a month. This sort of playfulness and ignorance intrigued me the most. I created all these elements artificially, and I placed all of them in an artificial environment. Therefore, everything invisible to the naked eye is reachable, aside from the zodiac sign for that month. These models are 2-3 metres wide, and the connecting bars, which made of plastic, is stained with phosphorescent paints, while each star point is a torch.

08/09/2021

Artificial Bioluminescence
2015

In my following photo series, I wanted to use light sources that were different from what I am used to using. I looked for a natural environment where I could introduce the characteristics of bioluminescence.

The phenomenon exists in nature and is the production and emission of light by a living organism. It occurs in fireflies, jellyfish, certain fungi, fish and bacteria. To perfectly reproduce the phenomenon in an environment where it would not naturally exist, I made several attempts to paint plants and light the surroundings. In my first attempt, I used phosphorescent acrylic paint on the plants. At first, this did not show the results I wanted to achieve. Therefore, in my second attempt, I used various techniques: spraying phosphorescent pigments on plants, but I still did not manage to achieve the desired effect. After several ineffective attempts, I arrived at the final solution. I applied white primer paint and then phosphorescent paint on plants. However, I wanted to capture more striking pictures, so I then used spray paint.

Regarding the surroundings, using a flashlight and other light sources did not prove to be efficient for revealing too much or too little. Ultimately, I used LED lights and light brush effects which proved successful in introducing the phenomenon of bioluminescence in such an environment where it would not normally and naturally occur.

01/09/2021

Reflected past
2015

When I was younger, my family regularly held projection nights which took me to places that I had never been before. This was all thanks to my parents. Their personal reports shepherded me in a new line towards my then and now feeling about these particular memories.

I treat my pictures on 3-time planes. These being: My parents’ past, my past, and my present. All of which I achieved with the projector’s ability to illustrate a fictional world related to my, or someone else’s experiences. Additionally, it was important for me to project these images with the same slide projector that my parents used in my childhood.

My series is based on the reinterpretation of landscapes. My aim is to complete the landscapes with personal feelings which have connections to my childhood. If we leave the veritable imaging of the landscape aside, we can accomplish any imaginary landscapes. It is only our imagination that can impose the limit. To achieve my goal, I started thinking about how much people can picture all the visual information that is not present in the actual scenery, but in their dreamlike imagination, it is.

31/08/2021

Identically dissimilar
2014

This photography series introduces two of the most important things in my life, dance and photography. I had the intention of merging these two seemingly distant worlds into one, as well as introducing the segments of these two worlds through photographs.

The sentiment behind this was paramount. Both activities represent my thoughts and feelings in a way that words can poorly express. Both fields have a different way to expand my communication and publication. When dancing, I can draw up my feelings with movements without having to add anything to it because I can express more with movement than with words. In photography, this is the essence.

There is a form, a composition, a shade or a colour that can produce quite abstract ideas. To make this line of thoughts endless, I found that the mapping of mirrors related to dance rehearsals are the best instruments. My ultimate intention was to perpetuate particular points besides expanding the way of publication. By doing so, I can indicate the constancy and repetitiveness of life. There is also a certain playfulness, which helps to draw the attention of the receptive.