Being given the topic of 'Boundaries', I decided to conduct research into the influence of social anxiety on a person, and the barriers it may present them when placed in social situations. Having a friend with social anxiety enabled me to focus on a particular subject throughout my work whilst providing me with first-hand information on the mental issue.
Social anxiety can often create barriers for people by preventing them from attending social situation from personal worries they may have. Although never having had extreme social anxiety myself I have gained some understanding of what it may be like to live with. My friend would often have oppressing, worrying thoughts when in a social situation, which could then lead to panic attacks. I therefore chose to portray this gradual breakdown through a series of paintings.
Conducting a photoshoot in a professional photography studio enabled me to create a series of dramatic photos documenting the stages of an individuals breakdown in confidence to a panic attack. Each stage presents a loss in confidence, and a build up in worrying, anxious thoughts, to the final image of a panicked, highly anxious figure.
Creating the pieces in acrylic on glass enabled me to maintain high levels of detail in the dramatic images, whilst providing me with the fragility of glass as a surface. After having spent numerous amount of hours on the paintings, each finished to a high standard, I decided to break the glass. This not only counteracts the hours of work spent on the piece, but further suggests the fragility of the person in a social situation. The glass separates further and further apart in each painting to show the gradual breaking of the individual through the stages of anxiety and panic. Having the inability to control the breaking of the glass also represents the inability to control the stages of anxiety and panic attacks.
This piece is intended to inform people about social anxiety and how people may not always be able to control their overwhelming anxious thoughts. Some people may believe that you can 'just get over' an anxious thought, however I want my paintings to prove that it may not be as controllable as people initially believe. Although social anxiety can be developed and controlled/improved to an extend by some people, it entirely depends on the individual and their confidence when in social situations. Don't judge something until you understand more. Although gaining knowledge in the area I will still never fully understand what social anxiety is like unless experiencing it first-hand.
(Time-lapses can be found under 'Projects - Boundaries')
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