Impressions
Impressions
Psychogeography explores the interaction between the urban environment and human emotions, while impressions are the sensory and emotional traces that the environment itself leaves in us. These two concepts are deeply connected, as psychogeography invites us to consider how the physical environment affects our perceptions, emotions and behaviors, thus generating a variety of impressions.
The word "impressions" is imbued with a double meaning that extends across two different spheres. On the one hand, it can refer to our sensory perception of the surrounding world. On the other hand, it can also indicate the traces we leave or receive, such as an indelible imprint or a lasting memory.
Impressions are fleeting nuances of visual experience, the result of an encounter between the eye and the image.
When we are faced with images of subjects reflected on the glass, our perception collides with the double reality that manifests itself: what is present and what is reflected. This interplay of duality creates a sense of depth and complexity, where impressions multiply and overlap.
The impressions are fragments of a constantly evolving visual world, a dance between reflection and reality that manifests itself in the images of subjects reflected on the glass.
As Henri Bergson states,
"……the reflected image is never identical to the object it reflects, it is a personal interpretation of light and space….." (Bergson, H., “Creative Evolution”, 1911).
In this duality between what is present and what is reflected, the impressions are transformed into an intimate and unique story.
Psychogeography plays a fundamental role in the process of perception of impressions.
By drifting, we let ourselves be guided by the impressions and stimuli of the surrounding environment: the impressions are intertwined with personal experiences, creating a deep bond between the context and our inner world.
Impressions act as a bridge between visible reality and our inner world, generating an intimate dialogue between what we see and what we feel. It is through this synergy that impressions acquire a personal meaning, a unique interpretation that resides in the soul of the beholder.
In the photographic image, the presence of a moving subject can lead to the appearance of ghosting.
As Susan Sontag states:
"……ghosting is a testimony of the passage of time in the image itself….."
(Sontag, S., “On Photography”, 1977).
This visual phenomenon adds a temporal dimension to the image, creating a sense of fluidity and transience.
The impressions that emerge from the ghosting are a tangible representation of the effect of time on the image and on our perception.
As we immerse ourselves in the impressions evoked by the presence of ghosting, we become participants in a sensory and cognitive journey.
As Gaston Bachelard states:
"……imagination creates images, but images also create imagination…..".
(Bachelard, G., “The Poetics of Space”, 1942)
Ghosting can add an element of surrealism and ambiguity to an image, resulting in a unique and intriguing interpretation.
