Milena Paul - Pareidolia

I created Pareidolia for my "Loss of Identity" themed IB Art Exhibition.

Face pareidolia is the phenomenon of seeing faces in random objects or light and shadow. Faces are inherently tied to identity, and in this piece, I intended to separate faces from their identity.

I isolated the components of four faces using harsh shadow, creating abstract shapes rather than individual faces. I worked with positive and negative space, as well as color contrast between the foreground and background. A detailed fingerprint pattern on red canvas peaks through the faces. Finger prints are another body part that is tied to our identity, and it is only revealed through the laser-cut faces.

All four faces are cut into a blue wood panel with a laser cutter and painted with acrylic. I attached LED lights to the back of the blue panel to illuminate the red canvas.