Don't Panic

There is a definite leap involved in the move from school to university and I have to say I felt somewhat overwhelmed by the whole thing initially. It wasn't until i was set a project I could really get my teeth into that i started to feel more confident.In my first year I was set the task to visually create the feeling of an Agoraphobic panic attack. At first there was the pressure of an exciting brief and need to do it justice, but as i began to find out more about agoraphobia the brief seemed more feasible and ideas began to come to me. 

I spoke to a lady who has agoraphobia who said it was like being in a prison in your own mind, and all the more frustrating because you know it is only you creating that prison. She told me sometimes she would go outside and feel totally exposed, her legs would go weak, her breathe would shorten and her heart beat would increase as she began to panic.

"Don't Panic, don't panic, don't panic" she would tell herself in an attempt to calm her self down and keep the feeling of impending doom at bay.

These words really struck me as we all have had moments in life where panic has begun and that feeling of blood rush has taken over...."don't panic, don't panic" are the words  tell my self in an attempt to keep rationality.

For the project i decided to use those two words as my only copy, but write them out of household objects such as aprons, tv remote controls, door stops etc. I decided to write them outside in an ominous looking place that would surely intall panic to any true agoraphobic.

In one instance I used an old battle field which holds an oppressive feeling in its very air. It is a very ominous place which always seems to be grey.

I then wrote the words in ribbons, tape, tape measures a

nd old fabrics on to a wire mesh which is meant to represent the "prison in your mind." Again the photographs are taken out in the open.

My feed back positive but there was a general consensus that the images in fact looked too pretty and not intimidating enough, so I decided to use a setting which held more intimidation and rather than use coloured calligraphic components I would stick to one neutral colour. My thoughts were either masking tape or loo paper and seeing as masking tape doesn't fill you with homely nostalgia I went for loo paper as it is a necessity and a given in every household and in a way holds it own comforts.

I was really pleased with the outcome, I think the setting is more ominous and the lack of colour in the writing unifies the whole piece.