Chloe Christine Heustis
“Uncanny Valley” is the phenomenon of an emotional response to non-organic, human-like bodies or entities. This project explores different examples and forms of real-life objects that can evoke the fabled “uncanny valley” feeling, specifically exploring how commonplace items can serve as emotive pieces. This “Hollow Purpose” body of work asks, “What is the catalyst that evokes this emotional response? Through photographic illustration, the question is explored in this photographic essay by examining the looked-over and forgotten nature of objects such as mannequins, dolls, or puppets and how they resemble the very human fear of being useless, forgotten, or shells of their past selves. As the artist, I invite viewers to consider these questions for themselves.