Soul Shifting

Soul Shifting is a 3-part series of 75 lens-based staged images. Part 1- The Dance of Death. Part 2- Snake Pit. Part 3- Purgation. Together, they follow the soul’s metaphysical journey between death and eternity. In The Dance of Death, a skeleton dances alone or invites partners into a final, pas de deux. In Snake Pit, serpents surround and coil the souls, slowly drawing them into the abyss. In Purgation, a solitary soul wades through past sins and transgressions, experiencing a final state of reckoning. My thinking is influenced and shaped by cinema, psychoanalysis, and Catholicism. Visually, the project draws upon influences from Man Ray’s experimental work, the technique of reverse glass painting, and Ray Harryhausen’s early stop-motion animation. To stage the scenes, I draw from my collection of dolls and toys, arranging them across a variety of reflective and textured surfaces. Each image is captured using only natural light. In post-production, I invert the images and manipulate the color and tonal values. Ultimately, Soul Shifting is an attempt to reconcile my lifelong preoccupation with death, giving physical form to the fears and desires of the unconscious mind.