OLIVIA TURCHYNIAK

                     strangers series

Strangers I

Tinder Dates

In this age of technology, these days most relationships start via various dating websites and apps. I decided to make a Tinder account to meet up with individuals not to get to know them, but rather draw them. 

Strangers II

Broken Telephone

A broken telephone can be defined as “any situation where information is passed on in turn by a number of people, often becoming distorted in the process”.

I found myself being curious, and interested in the (not so) mundane conversations I happened to hear in my everyday life.I happen to hear the most bizarre uncontextualized phrases, and thought these words should have a second chance to be heard. Live spoken words are exclusively heard by those around us in the moment they are spoken. These words are ephemeral, they only exist in the moment. Documenting is a way of making us feel like we are leaving our mark somehow, it is a trace of our existence. I decided to write down bits of phrases, whether they were small talk or the deepest of conversations, they both have equal importance in this case. After compiling these phrases I decided to call strangers and paraphrase the spoken words I had heard. 

Strangers III

Chatroulette Model Session

It is easy to look up an image online of anything to draw, but chosing a live human being on the other end of the screen changes the experience of drawing completely. Chatroulette’s initial intention was to create a platform for people to connect all over the world at the click of a button. However, these days it’s intended use is primarily for men to search for potential people to pleasure themselves with (i.e. masterbate on screen). I created an account on the website, with a short description of my intentions, and the direction I aimed to have with these interactions. In my bio I described that I was only looking to draw, I allowed the individuals to decided what they were comfortable with and for how long they were willing to pose for me. When the person left, I had to stop the drawing no matter what stage of completion it was at. I tried to stay objective, and remove myself from the fact that I was pleasuring some of them with my attention. I thought about their intellectual property, but came to the conclusion that these individuals were consensual, and choosing to put themselves out there.