Photomontage: Fish Stop, 2023

When taking a picture, there is only one moment that can be seen, one instant of image. Movement cannot be caught in these single frame of pictures. Usually it is not preferable to take multiple pictures of one moment, as that can be accomplished by instead recording a video. However, the art of photomontage allows the artist to capture the movement of a moment while not infringing on the territories of a video. Thus, what photomontage creates is a story of movement in a picture.

In my aquarium, through the use of photomontage, I can illustrate how fish do not stay in one place. Often, the fishes move in different locations inside the aquarium for a variety of reason, whether that be to play with others, eat the fish food, or to escape more aggresive fishes. This scenario can be seen when the grey fish is escaping from the advances of the yellow fish. The blue fish see this and goes after the grey fish behind the stone and wooden structure. At the end of that scenario, the grey fish hides behind the blue fish who protects it from the yellow fish.