V.14 ESCAPISM
V.14 ESCAPISM
Behind the issue
Escapism is the act of breaking away from a reality that no longer feels bearable. It explores the ways we step outside of our lives by withdrawing into ourselves, altering how we perceive the world, or transforming who we become within it. Across four sections, the issue moves through different extremes of escape: Dissociation as a loss of self, Derealization as a loss of the world, Euphoria as too much world, and Flamboyancy as too much self. Together, they explore how escape can protect us from reality while revealing what we are trying to leave behind.
MY PART
Making the issue
During my first issue as Co-EIC, my work for Escapism moved across graphic design, photography, and image-making. I designed the issue’s cover, keyhole symbol, launch and teaser graphics, and several spreads throughout the publication, carrying the visual language of the issue across print and digital.
I photographed two of the issue’s shoots, approaching each through the section it represented. For Euphoria, I photographed the overwhelming energy of a party as a visualization of “too much world,” while Flamboyancy used selective color to emphasize the heightened expression of “too much self.” My photographs from both shoots were used throughout the printed magazine and Rowdy’s digital platforms.
I also developed visual treatments for imagery across the issue, using post-production to push each shoot further into its concept. For Dissociation, I transformed studio photographs into colorful, distorted compositions that disrupt the subject’s sense of self. For Derealization, I drew directly over the photographs to make the world around the subject feel altered and disconnected from reality.
