NEW LENSES: Experimental Capture and Release

Spring 2022

vanity garden by Zoe de Leon

The prompt I chose was to create a face that doesn’t exist.

Starting this project, I decided to us runwayml.com because it’s been so fun browsing through the different types of models for photo and video editing. The model I was most attracted to is called MUNIT that turns portraits into dynamic floral illustrations based on custom floral print datasets.

For my project, I wanted to stylize faces that don’t exist based on faces that already don’t exist. After manipulating the photos, collaging, cropping, editing, and erasing, I created a singular work that shows no signs of a face whatsoever. Instead, the final output is a vintage-esque floral stationery. It’s interesting to see how digital products can still be reflections of more analog experiences and nostalgic physical forms.

Final output: pretty floral stationery for handwritten notes and letters!!

An example of using the frame online for sharing some daily social media ~inspiration~:

Here is the flow of creation, working backwards:

Step 3: Putting the images into a collage, then manipulating (erasing, cropping, and zooming in) to form a frame

Step 2: Using MUNIT to stylize each selfie

Step 1: Taking warped selfies using an Instagram filter… sorry u hav to see this

Thinking process:

Project initially began because I found MUNIT on runwayml and I just loved the 19th century style floral imagery. Tried doing a ‘bad selfies’ collection of images but realized that the most interesting aspect of the effect was when I’d zoom in, and the form of the face was lost and instead you’re left looking at close up illustrations of flowers and leaves.