Inspiration for the work
Inspired by the styles of American photographers Duane Michals and Gregory Crewdson, this work speaks to how the surface appearance of what we see around us is often not at all a reflection of it's entire reality. So much of our thoughts, actions and reactions are based on the first thing we see, and I can see issues with this habit.
The idea for this piece is inspired by my interest in cognitive biases such as the 'Halo Effect' and it's relative, the 'Horn Effect'. These biases are terms that phycologists use to explain a human tendency to make a snap judgment about a person or experience on the basis of one positive or negative trait. I think it can be harmful to use a rapid and overall judgment of a person or thing to dictate our actions.
The words Halo and Horn are chosen as representations of Angel Halos and Devil Horns. Halo is the term used when we use surface-level traits to create positive assumptions about someone's character, and Horn is the term for when we when use these traits to make negative assumptions.