Comments on: Thoughts on Creating Fourth Wall

By: Recounting » Promoting Passion

Recounting » Promoting Passion — Thu, 21 Dec 2017 15:30:53 +0000

[…] hour class on Creative Live called “Fine Art Photography: The Complete Guide”. I had my debut exhibition of my newest series, “Fourth Wall”. I hosted my 3rd annual Promoting Passion […]

By: Neviekur

Neviekur — Sun, 11 Jun 2017 17:17:17 +0000

I have recently discovered your interesting work, and this is an imaginative photographic series about the concept of fourth wall.
The term arises from a reflection on the nature of the theatrical performance. On the stage there are three real walls, and a fictitious fourth (invisible but symbolic, separating the actors from the spectators) Realist theater was built on this pact: actors and public live in parallel universes that never interact. Until the end of the performance.
Every artistic manifestation, not only theater, has its “fourth wall”: it is a symbolic border that separates the creator from the receiver of a work (reader, film viewer, voyeur of images …) to create a realistic verosimilitude effect. It works as a preset, as a filter that, when it breaks, shows up that we do not see a fragment of reality but a symbolic fiction, a photoshoped reality.
I think your “fourth wall”, Brooke, is very special: it is actually a sixth wall (four sides, the floor and the invisible wall from above where you take your aerial shot) Because the space you have reconstructed is not that of the theatrical scene, but that of a box. Your sixth wall is the equivalent of the fourth wall of the theatrical performance.
At bottom, any reflection on the fourth (or fifth or sixth) wall is a reflection on the foundations of art: that symbolic border that separates reality from aesthetic representation. Realistic art is built on an illusion: that of the fourth wall.
But I think that, paradoxically, breaking the fourth wall does not necessarily mean destroying the artistic “illusion”, but opening it to consciousness. This is what Velazquez did when he included himself painting the picture of Las Meninas (like a behind the scene) The reflection on the artistic act is itself a form of knowledge. Because consciousness is always self-consciousness.
With the appearance of the human brain, Life broke its fourth wall and became self-conscious. What is this strange game of birth and death? The human animal that interrogates itself is an animal that is distressed. Consciousness is also consciousness of death. One day we will all die. We are made of too much shade (broken shade?) and of an incurable form of suffering. We are a strange mixture of caresses and wounds, orgasms and agonies.
The lucidity, conscience, self-knowledge is not only a form of wisdom, it is also a form of tragedy. The ancient Greeks invented philosophy, but also theater. For them, the lucidity of knowledge was as important as the wisdom of defeat, of failure, of the suffering they portrayed in their theatrical tragedies. Tragedies are always represented accompanied by a final comedy. It was his way of breaking the fourth wall. Crying is a metaphomorphosis of laughter, laughter is a metamorphosis of crying. Because life is much more terrible and fascinating than we never imagined: life is paradise, hell is life.
Perhaps there is no deep knowledge about existence, a lucid look on the world that does not start from our own contradictions. And that is why we need to live every moment with the intensity, lucidity, pain, happiness, pleasure, creativity, anguish, passion of who knows that might be living the last day of eternity.

By: Ronne Pierce

Ronne Pierce — Fri, 17 Feb 2017 19:25:58 +0000

Brooke I can’t tell you how much the behind the scenes video means to me. I knew that these took a tremendous of amount of effort and care but seeing you in the process of bringing an idea to fruition is just so inspiring and moving. My nearly 8yo (going on 40) daughter just watched it with me and she was blown away. I love her seeing someone putting forth so much effort to make what they envision. She understood that it was “worth it”. Thank you for sharing this so I can share it with her <3 And she wants me to ask you, "How in the world you all get the wax out of the model's hair?" 🙂

By: Pam Sogge

Pam Sogge — Fri, 17 Feb 2017 18:07:27 +0000

Incredible series Brooke. Thank you for waiting! I am sure it was periodically painful not to share your progress. Seeing it all together allows us to have such a fuller experience – the pieces as a collection, the images of pouring wax and sand, gluing all that yarn!

It is fascinating to consider how your physical connection to creating the space effects the final image.

I love your quote “Is that not the true soul of an artist? To desire to work. To never be finished. To seek to know oneself intimately so that we may create meaningfully? That is my why.” It’s so brave.

By: Anne Parsons

Anne Parsons — Fri, 17 Feb 2017 16:14:06 +0000

Brooke: your visual writing offers such a fierce impact on the emotions. With female characters that are incredibly alive, even when distorted, they brilliantly capture one’s deepest desires and fears. Not only that, they appear to represent a reality that we hide, especially behind our social construct. I applaud how you explore the complexity of being human, and our evolvement in life’s odyssey. More importantly, when you share your gifts, and inspire each one of us, you create your best work. Namaste!

By: Su Hall

Su Hall — Fri, 17 Feb 2017 15:18:15 +0000

Brooke, this series is absolutely the coolest I have ever seen! I mean that in that we got to see how it came together, how you envisioned it and the results, as well as, the fails. On top[ of that, we get a glimpse of your emotional journey, to an extent, through the process. I admire you so much for going after your dream, for putting your all into one shot!
You inspire me!
Su

By: brookeshaden

brookeshaden — Fri, 17 Feb 2017 15:10:03 +0000

In reply to Nath. Gracias!

By: brookeshaden

brookeshaden — Fri, 17 Feb 2017 15:09:55 +0000

In reply to Alejandro Molina. Very much the same to you, Alex <3

By: brookeshaden

brookeshaden — Fri, 17 Feb 2017 15:09:44 +0000

In reply to Dave. XOXO :D

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 17 Feb 2017 15:08:39 +0000

There’s going to be a book, right? :}