Elizabeth Stoner

(Re)Examining Horror

 

Horror is a genre that thrives on evoking fear and unease in the viewer. This work aims to probe the ways by which the genre plays with fears and anxieties. It presents imagery at the crossroads of abstract and concrete fears and also has influences of themes of surveillance, spectatorship, and an analogue horror experience. The artwork consists of multiple video channels showing first-person point of view footage taking the viewer through a virtual, 3D modeled location. This perspective directly draws the viewer into the scene while also lim- iting their control as they “tour” the space. Within the space are numerous televisions, each displaying clipped footage from classic horror films or static noise. The additional audio component works to heighten the existential anxieties while the screens within the virtual space elicit more tangible feelings of fear, thus presenting an intersection of material and ex- istential fears. 

Overall, this installation creates an immersive experience for the viewer, using camera framing and ambiguity to elicit fear and unease. By working with analogue materials such as film, 3D modeling, and sound, the work creates a sense of nostalgia and timeless- ness, while also challenging the viewer’s perceptions of what horror can be. 

Sector A

Advisors: 
Peter Decherney (CIMS)

Ian Verstegen (VLST)