Investigation of Phobias

1. PHOBIAS

2. Through my concentration pieces I attempted to
display phobias, irrational or extreme fears. If
one can name their fear or create a
representation of it, it is scientifically proven to
be easier to overcome. Some of the fears
portrayed are very specific, while others are
more universal.

3. I began my concentration with one of the most
common fears, the fear of birds, Orinthophobia,
represented in images 1 and 2. This fear was
propagated by Alfred Hitchcock’s film, The Birds.
As a representation of the fear, along with it’s
iconic history I used a silhouette of a raven. I
found my inspiration for images 3 and 4 from a
waitress whose tree was struck during a storm
and was left with Astraphobia, the fear of
lightning. I return to a very common fear,
Arachnophobia, the fear of spiders, in images 5
and 6. A rather unusual fear is the subject of 7
and 8. The fear of ugliness or becoming ugly,
Cacophobia, is represented by a once beautiful
dress that has become damaged and exposed.

4. Just as a woman has no control over signs of
aging; holes and burn marks slowly creep up the
dress until it is completely deteriorated. My next
piece, displayed in images 9 and 10, is the fear
of insanity, Maniaphobia. The wire head depicts
a mental cage with the shackles leaving it a
prisoner to the mind. The final piece, images 11
and 12, is the most common fear in humans.
Necrophobia, the fear of death, is normal,
however, the impending process of dying is
more frightening than death itself. By having a
blood bag drip into a broken hourglass I embody
the time limit on life.

5. Ornithophobia- Fear of birds

6. Astraphobia- Fear of lightning

7. Arachnophobia- Fear of spiders

8. Cacophobia- Fear of ugliness

9. Maniaphobia- Fear of insanity

10. Necrophobia- Fear of death

11. Breadth

12. Octopus

13. Wire Necklace

14. Wire Bracelet

15. Orb

16. Fork Pendant

17. Iguana

18. Fishing for Knowledge

19. Turtle

20. Owl

21. Sea Horses

22. Chandelier