Artist Philip Worthington’s Shadow Monsters is an interactive project in which visitors were invited to create all kinds of wacky shadow puppets with their bodies in front of an illuminated screen. Through the use of unique code, digital computer augmentation, and light projection, Worthington’s installation transformed the simple shadows into lively, projected monsters with fangs, fins, fuzzy ears, googly eyes, and matching sound effects.
When photographer Joseph Holmes came upon the exhibit at New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), he wasn’t as much interested in the project as he was interested in the hilarious activity that took place in front of the screen. Visitors were inspired to pose playfully in front of the light projections, flexing their muscles, executing dance moves, and even indulging in a quick kiss. As they focused on the screen and the entertaining monsters that their shadows created, their self-awareness faded, and Holmes focused in on these moments, capturing the museum visitors in all of their entertaining gestures and titling the unique photo series Monsters, after Worthington’s original project.
Scroll down to watch a brief snippet of the interactive Shadow Monsters installation in action.
Joseph O. Holmes’ website
Philip Worthington’s exhibit at MOMA
via [Laughing Squid]