Megan Lacombe

Mrs. Dus
Latin and Comparative Languages
May 25, 2015
The Language of Lies
I got the idea for my project when I was listening to a podcast about how language can be
used to detect lies. Based on this concept of lie detection, I researched the most common
methods of lie detection and their accuracy. Startlingly, there is no method of lie detection which
is accurate across time and place. Two major concepts which my research was centered around
are deviations from the norm and a puzzle like approach to the discovery of the truth. At first I
was going to center my art project around a pattern which would be broken in some way,
effectively creating a deviation from the norm. However, I decided to take my project in another
direction and focus on conveying the concept that the truth is often discovered using a variety of
different methods. I began with a mirror which represents the truth which can be seen in our
expressions. The mirror is contained within a frame which also relates to lies as lies involve
telling a false story. Photographs and reflections both show the truth. I then found a sampling of
images which related to my project: body parts, detection methods, and cultural references. I also
took pictures of some of my classmates in order to illustrate facial expressions. Using these
images I created a collage which covered part of the mirror. I then covered some of the images in
pen or chalk in order to further convey the concept of layers. Lies often have many layers to
them and I wanted my project to communicate that. I also added a pattern of swirls to the collage
to visually connect the elements of my collage.