I chose to exhibit the short film I created in the digital sound & image capture unit. I feel it was one of the strongest pieces of work I have created over this course, and naturally I was excited to show it. I could have exhibited my photographs that I captured before starting this course, but I had already displayed them in previous exhibitions. I wanted to try and exhibit a media I have never worked in before — film. Importantly, the film I shot fits the exhibition’s theme, ‘Respair’ (the return of hope after a period of despair).
Artist’s Statement
Project 1: FILM (London)
‘VOID’—Film. 2021
This short film explores the vicissitudes of mood-cycles of a person suffering from long-term anxiety and depression. An envelope arriving through the door-vent bringing a set of concert tickets that the protagonist has looked forward to for a while — only for the happy plans to be foiled when the government imposes a lockdown leading to the concert’s cancellation. What follows is a period of low leading to making excuses for not turning up for work, lack of energy, sleeping through the days, not cleaning the room, eating poorly, etc. Then comes a phase of self-realisation and wanting to change — he calls, chats and seeks advice from friends, keeps himself clean and fresh, tidies his room and workspace, exercising, staying fit, cooking, eating healthy, even making his favourite brew of freshly ground coffee — to eventually getting on top of college assignments, spending time outdoors in the sun, reading, and trying to create a good work-leisure balance. The film ends with the imagery of freshness of rains and open skies — ultimately, one of hope and positivity.
The actual display graphic of the Artist Statement. 
Me and my mum at the opening show.
Project 2: PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION (New Delhi)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JSAJA59mxU12xaoxyYOPgRsVV5VZRsf4/view?usp=sharing
Video of me speaking at the opening of my exhibition at the gallery.
Interview — Vivianne interviewing Aria
Hi Aria, how are you?
Aria Sen (AS): I am well, thanks. It has been a good day so far.
Okay I hope that goes out well and everything so let’s start with the first
question, talk a little bit about yourself what you got what you got into
being creative?
AS: My Dad is a poet and photographer — so I’ve always been immersed
in the creative field. He’s taken me to exhibitions, theatre, music concerts, and
more. I have also attended many of his readings. So I have always been
around artists and creative people. Therefore, I think I naturally absorbed a lot
of that through a process of osmosis.
Although I never got interested in the literary side of things (even
though I read a lot), my Dad always used to take a lot of photos when we
used to go on holidays together — and that is where I really picked up my
interest of photography. His style of photography is very abstract and artistic
— and I really like capturing people’s emotions. I love street photography.
What inspires you in your ‘street photography’?
AS: In street photography, I like the candid style where you just capture
someone going about their day-to-day life without them knowing that they are
being photographed. I find that quite beautiful — there is immediacy to that
process.
I particularly like the moments that most people don’t notice, like
someone walking across the street, or people having an argument. Emotion in
day-to-day life, I really want to document that. I feel that there is a fine line
between photojournalism and art.
That is interesting, I like that, and so do you have a previous project that
you did with like a specific theme? Or do you have an idea of a project
you want to do in the future?
AS: That is good food for thought. I have done Art during GCSE before,
and I have tried that at the A levels. We have always had very broad themes.
For example, people, places and things — so that literally covers everything. I
think I want to explore that side of me. To be an artist, you need to have focus
and direction and passion.
I have thousands of photos on my computer that I have not edited. I
would like to group them together into themes. I have done a couple of
fashion shoots. Also, I have the more artsy type photos and some abstract
stuff. Putting them up on my website and grouping them into themes is a long-
term project. It is tough to organize all your ideas that you previously had.
There are a thousand things I want to do, but I can only do a few things at one
time.
With street photography, it is quite hard to keep on-track with projects
in my mind, i.e. keeping track without getting distracted — while at the same
time to stay motivated and make time to seriously pursue photography, find
interesting subjects for it. It is like being more open to new ideas, and putting
myself out there like our classmate Jake does.
Having a theme in mind, for example I go out a lot right so I could
capture the party life in Covid times. But then again you have to think
about taking the camera with you. Being successful taking those
pictures while also enjoying the party. Distancing yourself, it’s a
dilemma.
AS: I definitely understand that, and for me it is tough as I am naturally a
homebody. Isolation is a default setting — I need an excuse to go out. Covid
hasn’t made much difference to my lifestyle as I used to just be at home all
the time in any case.
What are your plans for the Waterloo Festival? Do you have a project
that has to do with photography, or are you gonna take another route?
AS: I think I am going to link it to the ‘filmmaking’ unit we are doing. As a
subject matter, I’m going to cover my own personal mental health struggles
throughout the past year. Trying to stay in routine, stay motivated. I’ve not
really developed the idea too much, but I have a good sense of what I want to
do with it.
One of the challenges is that I don’t have a cameraman or a person to
help me shoot the film. I have to plan all my shots in advance. I need a tripod.
Also there can’t be any panning or tilting, as everything has to be shot in the
self-portrait format. This is going to limit me creatively, but perhaps also made
it challenging to push the boundaries. The housemates I live with are not
people who are creative, so they would need a bit of coaching if I were to take
their help.
My next question is if the project has been reflected in your own
personal journey? You talked about your mental health, which I think a
lot of, as many people struggle with this during this time.
AS: Unfortunately, I have been struggling for years now. And this is
exacerbated because lack of social interaction and being stuck at home.
Being a homebody and suffering from mental health is tough in these times.
Before people would ask me out, or I would make plans and socialize a little
bit if I needed company.
I mean even someone like me who like goes out a lot, it’s even taken a
toll on me because like there’s less new people to meet which like it’s
like takes a toll on me because I I’m like quite extroverted and I like to
meet new interesting people all the time, I need a constant like change. It
makes you also reflect on yourself like why do you do I need so much
change and so much new people. Am I not happy in my own circle? It
makes you think you know? Is it because there’s a lot of self-reflection
yes too much time for self-reflection.
AS: Yes I love meeting new people. I’m so happy I joined this course
because I’ve got to meet really interesting people. But it’s not something I
naturally gravitate towards — like making spontaneous plans to go out or just
go into town to meet someone new. When I go out, it is like a mission. For
example, going to get groceries, I am hyper focused on what I am doing, and I
don’t really take a second to look at people or even interact with them.
So moving on, about the future what direction you want to go in?
AS: I definitely want to go to university by the end of the year. I need to do
a bit more research into what I want to do. I am quite interested in video-game
design and virtual reality. I really enjoyed the 3D modelling unit. I might
pursue that.
I have good skills like photography and I got connections from my dad,
so he can always help me in that field. Yes, this is one of the tougher
questions — I can do anything and nothing with my life.
You’re quite open-minded too.
AS: Yes, I can do anything and I can do nothing, which is scary.
There’s nothing you are really good at, but then again there’s always a
learning curve, no one is perfect and it’s always good to learn and seek
help if you need it.
AS: I feel that we are both jack-of-all-trades kind of people, where we want
to be involved in a lot of different things.
I think at this age it’s like okay to be involved in different things, in a lot
of things.
AS: Yes. It’s tough trying to narrow yourself down to one specific thing that
you are going to do for the rest of your life — it’s very scary.
The thing is I always see it like that you don’t have to do the same thing
for the rest of your life. You always have to remember that. That’s why I
say about the nice thing about the creative field, you always can do
something a little different, something else with the with the abilities that
you already have.
AS: Yes, I think it is about developing a good skill set, which is what we’re
doing right now — then being flexible with that in the future.
Yes and having your specialty, but then expanding on that specialty.
AS: Yes, lifelong learning for sure.
Yes you never stop learning, and remember you always can become a
teacher with the skills set that you have.
AS: Is that something you’re interested in?
Teaching? Yeah oh always.
AS: I need to get more confident with myself before I can even thinking
about that.
About that yeah I did an internship as a primary teacher, it’s like the
lower grades. I really like to be with the kids, but the thing is like I could
tell that I wasn’t ready for it. My patience, my passion and you’re
partially the mother of that child. You’re the part of that child’s
development, it’s a big responsibility that I don’t want to take yet. I want
to have fun for now of.
AS: Of course you can’t be too serious in life all the time, it is about
balance.
Yeah I mean primary teachers do have fun, don’t get me wrong but you
know what I mean.
AS: Yes, just disciplining the class, I can’t — it just sounds like stress.
Yeah and I want to do a lot of passion projects before that. You don’t
have a lot of time as a primary teacher.
So that’s all for like my interview, thank you for for your interesting answers.
AS: Yes, this was a really great conversation. And it didn’t even feel like an
interview.
See, that’s the nice part.
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