Found Portrait
Final project for Intermediate Photography class, spring 2005.
13 11x14" Geletin Silver Prints
Detail:
Found object research is encouraged and sometimes required in many fields of art education. The notion is that these objects seed the creative mind with inspirations, allowing the artist to create something new from something old. Another exploration that is emphasized is the self-portrait. The art world today focuses just as much on the artist as it does on the work they create. I am interested in the level of choice involved in both of these concepts. Why do some objects draw our attention more than others? And in the same sense, how do we decide the way in which to portray ourselves in a self-portrait? Both are choices that we, as artists, make. The objects we choose, and the photographs we take are inevitably reflective of our own subconscious identities. In this project, I am combining these two ideas in an effort to reveal the existence of choice in art and show the role it plays in defining an artist's identity. The objects used in these photographs are ones that stood out to me when I encountered them. They were chosen not based on direct symbolic meaning, but rather due to how they inspired my self-portrait work. Based on how I chose to photograph myself with these objects, they have become a reflection of my identity.
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