SARAH GOBELL

Ironic Artist Statement

 

I was inspired by the word “ironic” for this photo shoot. The word ironic refers to happening in the opposite way of what is expected, which can often cause humor. I used this definition of ironic in my photo in a relatable real-life example. My picture represents a family at dinner but instead of interacting of talking to each other they are all on their phones and completely distracted. The irony is the sign in the background that reads “cherish family and friends”, which is hung as important in their kitchen. However, they obviously are not cherishing each other's’ company, they are too invested on their phones which is apparent by the faces lit up by their phone screens.

 

I was inspired to take this photo because of how I can relate to this concept. Though my parents talk about many times how we should cherish the time we have together and not be on our phones too much, I have found my family in this exact situation multiple times. Components of this photo required a family, a dinner setting, and the ironic sign for the background. The family is sitting with blank expressions, phones close to their faces so much you can see the phone light of the screen on their faces. There is still food on their plates, to not only show the dinner scene but also that they are not even focused on eating, but completely on their phones. The sign in the background mainly focuses on the words “cherish friends and family” because that is the ironic part of the photo. The other words on the sign are slightly blurred for a clearer message. 

 

This photo was very eye-opening to me. I realized that I find my family in this exact situation a lot, and we really do need to stick by our words and cherish the time we spend together. Technology is slowly taking over our lives and it is sad to think simple things like a family dinner can't even be done without cell phones present anymore. In the end, this photo represents a story that clearly showcases irony and is relatable to people.