Ralph D'Alessio
Liquid Delirium

AwardBlue Ribbon

SchoolPadua Franciscan High School

CityParma, Ohio

TeacherMary Remington

Interns

John Lewandowski and
David Suwondo

Medium
Photography

Artist's Statement

I chose the research project exploring delirium because I am interested in how photographic images can be distorted to create a feeling of disorientation in the viewer. On the surface, my photograph looks like a confusing swirl of color, but eventually the visual cues lead to recognition of actual objects, and reality becomes exposed. This is the reverse process of the research done by John Lewandowsky and David Suwondo where it is suggested that doctors might first search for symptoms of delirium in order to diagnose and treat the real problem. The title, Liquid Delirium, refers to the subject of the photograph and to the imagined feeling of moving and seeing through swirling water.