Blooper
Greek Mythology & Sofia Coppola as a quintessential
portrayal of hoarding memories.
Holding On vs. Letting Go
What first gave me the idea for this project was a book I had read a few years ago, The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, with a sequence that I loved so much I still remember it and look back on it fondly as if I were the one who experienced it. In this group of scenes, the two characters Patroclus and Achilles are on a secluded mountain where their centaur mentor, Chiron, resides in a quartz cave. Their time on that mountain reflects a moment of bliss, reminding me of the youthful and dreamy atmosphere you see in coming-of-age films. It was bittersweet, knowing Achilles would soon have to face his fate of becoming a great warrior in the Trojan War and dying young. But their time on this mountain was so idyllic.
It encapsulated a feeling of genuine joy for living and unadulterated curiosity— the kind of feeling that gives you hope and makes you appreciate being alive. This is what I wanted to bring to life in my project.
However, I struggled to find a way to incorporate this into the assignment prompt. How could I visually alter the scene to create a new meaning that other people would understand? I realized that I couldn't find a way to visually communicate something without words for something so specific and personal, so my solution was to alter the message in a personal way, too.
When looking at my project without that personal lens, I can also see it as a depiction of overconsumption and obsession with curating a vibe, turning an ethereal, mythical landscape into a landfill. However, since my attachment to this scene comes from nostalgic and idealized moments, I tried to contrast the romanticism of that with the idea of those thoughts becoming clutter to something that is already so beautiful, as a way to say stop living in your head and live in the moment and appreciate what is there while you still have it instead of always yearning or thinking about things that have already happened. To do this, I used the contents of Sofia Coppola's messy office, along with other scattered objects. Coppola's artistry and trademark of disheveled rooms have become more appreciated as her movies have become increasingly popular and more frequently referenced over the last few years. Content Creation student Jade Denis says, "The experience of getting ready and having makeup scattered everywhere and clothes piled up on the floor encapsulates womanhood. So, while curated mess is not aesthetic, it’s authentic." (Gardiner, 2023) Bedrooms are arguably the most vulnerable and personal spaces, especially for teenagers. You can tell a lot about someone with just one look at their bedroom, and Coppola uses them to reveal more about the protagonists in her movies. Because of how revered she is for her depictions of girlhood and melancholy, I thought she would be the perfect reference.
The amassment of objects and everyday items scattered around a beautiful, natural setting reflects a certain chaos that comes from holding on to so many memories. Fearing that if you forget or let go of these things you also lose a small part of yourself, without realizing how much it affects your reality and your environment. As an incredibly sentimental girl, I think there's a beauty in collecting memories, both tangible and intangible. Somehow turning ephemera, memorabilia, and other accumulated trinkets into a physical representation of moments in your life that you hold dear. It's hard to think about letting those things go. The view from inside the cave, where the centaur Chiron lives, is meant to suggest she no longer has space in her cave and now all of her objects have spilled out and untidily been laid out amongst the flora and fauna.
I do wish I had been able to capture the dreamy lighting from movies such as The Virgin Suicides (1999) and Atonement (2007), but hadn't figured out how to in time. Some of the scattered objects are also obviously cut out and pasted in. Going back, I would try and make it look more realistic and seamless.
I found most of my images from iStock, Pixabay, and Pinterest.
https://pixabay.com/illustrations/centaur-hybrid-woman-mythology-6199751/
https://pixabay.com/photos/quartz-minerals-quartz-crystals-1206671/
https://pixabay.com/photos/cave-stone-sea-darling-seagulls-4652174/
https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/mount-hiuchi-in-niigata-japan-gm1264237089-370224493
https://www.reddit.com/r/popculturechat/comments/198anua/sofia_coppolas_home_office_2000/?rdt=56812