Today I want to write something about the naming of photographs.
The fact is that my work, named “Ostensible Abstraction,” was my first artwork in which all the pictures presented had their names. What principle did I choose in the naming of my photographs? What key did I use? While thinking about how I want to name my images, I decided that the names of pictures cannot be identical to what we see in the frame. The truth is that it was my first profound experience regarding naming photographs. When I started to think about what I wanted to call my pictures, I was stuck because I did not know how to do it. Suddenly, a spark of genius came into my mind.
I discovered that I have to invent names opposite to what we see in the picture.
Let me give you some examples. Let’s start with the cover of the English version of “Ostensible Abstraction.” In the picture, we see a wall with a piece of shadow and black elements, which can be similar to the eye. I named this photograph “KKK.” Why? Because the silhouette of the shadow with the look is quite identical to a profile of a member of the Ku Klux Klan.
Nevertheless, I want to remind you that we do not see in the picture any human.
Another picture, “Pierced heart,” looks like a heart pierced by thorns. But, it is a plastic bag hanging on the tree. My curiosity regarding this photograph is the fact this picture was one of the images from my first photography exhibition. A subsequent photo from my first photography exhibition is the picture named “Lungs.” Titled lungs are nothing more than a specific shadow of the tree on the concrete wall.
Did I have great fun naming all my pictures from “Ostensible abstraction?” Yes, of course. In general, I have a lot of fun while playing with all my photographs. It is still, for me, a childish play, thanks to which I am having fun, like playing with a jigsaw puzzle.
