A paradox can be described as a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true. In other words, something that doesn’t make sense upon first glance. When I was initially brainstorming for this prompt, I thought of oxymorons which are not the same, but similar. I wanted to take a popular oxymoron and turn it into a similar paradox. I chose “less is more” as my paradox. My work showcases a subject trading coins for a car, representing how less money is equivalent to more material value.

 

To create this work, I first found a car that was clean and would photograph well. I chose my grey Rav4 as it looked sleek in photos. I then searched for the dirtiest coins I could find to better symbolize the age and lack of visual appeal the coins held. I set up the two subjects in front of the car, one holding the coins in their hand and one dangling the keys in an offering manner. I took several compositions, moving the hands around to create the most natural looking exchange between two people while still having the car in the background.

 

My work is representative of how less can be more and is showcased through trading miniscule amounts of money for something that is clearly more expensive, such as a car.