Photography Film Video
Orla Collins
Manky
‘Manky’ is exploring the struggle between ideal self vs the real self, as portrayed online. The piece is highlighting the heavy emphasis that is now put on the ideal self by showcasing banal and “manky” elements of the artist juxtaposed with a “stunning” curated version of the artist. These notions of “stunning” and “manky” are defined by Western beauty ideals that are becoming even more emphasised with the use of social media. There’s an increasing amount of value being put on “selfies” as the portrayal of the self as a consistent brand tends to garner more engagement on spaces such as Instagram. This is manifested through a series of videos shot on VHS tape, this low-fi aesthetic is further counteracting the glossy, perfected imagery that saturate social media sites. The viewer is enticed to view these videos by entering a booth labelled either “manky” or “stunning”, each portraying elements of the ideal and real selves.