By Kaitlyn Moran, Art & Media Editor
Chang's first photograph features in the Alice in the Real World Album posted on DiN Magazine's 2013 Issue.
Link to the full album: https://web.archive.org/web/20131205185329/http:/dinmagazine.nmsu.edu/Issue2/AliceInRealWorld.html
'We' chose to cover an old submission from DiN Magazine by Wonsul Chang, called "Alice in the Real World". These photos originate from the 2013 issue of DiN Magazine. We felt that the photos created by Chang could impact people culturally since we are forced into a situation where people can barely grasp the reality in front of them. Since many individuals are currently undergoing adjustments in the face of this pandemic, people are struggling with what is considered to be the new, temporary normal.
We have to combine ridiculous safety practices with normal society. This style was intriguing because it also combined the cartoonish-storybook style that is Alice in Wonderland with the real world. The real world is vibrant and physical but is also bland in terms of color when compared to a fictional world. Fiction is limitless and can be shaped into anything. There are no restraints within a fictional world other than the ones set for the characters within them. Alice for example comes from a real-world environment and is already familiar with such an environment. Currently, the world is spreading whatever it can, whether it be regulations or false information, it goes beyond the bland and shapes chaotic outcomes.
In these photographs, Alice continues to act similarly to how she was in the actual story, which was surprised and astonished by the random scenery and abstraction of the environment. She shows this in the drawn forms of herself. The story continues naturally within each photo. Here in the first photograph, we can see that the White rabbit is running late. The second photograph shows the rabbit descending into the other supposed world. The third photograph shows Alice being guided to see the queen. The fourth photograph shows Alice exploring her unfamiliar surroundings. The fifth photograph shows a carriage traveling through the depths of the forest. And the last photograph displays Alice's struggle when the world around her starts to turn mad, perhaps in reference to the Mad Hatter.
What makes these photographs unique is the colors and the styles of the characters. From what can be seen, the cartoonish outlines of each character were placed in a photograph, to set a mood specifically to make Alice in Wonderland more realistic. In references across other media, Alice in Wonderland has always been interpreted differently. These photographs reflect a struggle between reality and a fictional world. It could also represent a person's struggle contrasting reality from media and cultural references.
Kaitlyn Moran is an experienced digital artist, photographer, and document editor. She is one of the primary editors for DiN Magazine’s Art and Media section. Her schedule is always booked with productivity outside of work or school. Kaitlyn is currently finishing up her bachelor’s degree in English with a focus in rhetoric, digital media, and professional communication at New Mexico State University.
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