Searching for greater meaning in absurdity.
Mixing non-traditional plots with fantastical elements and abstractions is integral to my story telling style. I am passionate to write about characters who are socially isolated, subvert stereotypes, or battle with difficult moral dilemmas – dilemmas that address the ideologies we take for granted in our society, that sometimes lead to more harm than good.
Primarily my creative content are driven by thematic content, particularly themes of dystopia, death, dreams, murderers and psychopathy. To facilitate the thematic content in my visual artwork, I place visual barriers between the camera and the actor or subject (for example, a reflection, veil, or makeup – anything that distorts the image). Discordant focal lengths are a tool I use to create purposefully blurry images and facilitate storytelling images to cut up the visuals into smaller shapes. Tighter camera shots that don’t show an actor’s full form can also be used to visually distort the human body. Sometimes I will contrast these distortions with extreme wide shots to make the actor look extremely small. This juxtaposition is used to convey sensations of psychosis or loneliness. Saturated colour palettes and surreal comedy are other elements I use to explore existing social ideologies. My methods are used to enhance recurring themes of isolation, loss, and claustrophobia, amongst others.
The ecological and social responsibilities of art-making are of major concern to me. As an example, I try to practice eco-friendly film production by pooling resources, planning time-efficient shoots, and recycling materials across multiple films. My film content also aims to provide commentary about the implications of our abundant abuse of the environment.
Many of my stories occur in post-apocalyptic settings, in which the earth is beyond repair, and the people remaining are left to live with the consequences. Some of my works feature characters who are hopelessly tied to the gears of the machine, ultimately leading to their downfall and that of their environment. In “Bloom” (2019) features a girl is so consumed with her own vanity she dies from the obsession. “Baby In A Drawer” (2018) is set in a post-pandemic society where a girl gives birth to an egg, struggles with her racism she feels towards people who are half-bird, and then eats her own bird baby when she can’t overcome her shame.
I am also dedicated to exploring villains – the characters who we would otherwise love to see fail or meet their demise. By exploring cold characters and themes through a lens of fantasy, I am examining the ways that we as a society deal with pain and hardship and grow from it. “Revenge of the Supermom” (2020) features a whole cast of villains – nobody is a hero here, but we can learn from their mistakes.
sarapagearts 