Selfies

The process of taking a self-portrait is one that involves understanding how you perceived the self. It is a way of being the outsider when you are already the insider. When taking these photos I tried to show different sides of me that all revolved around my quirks. I don’t have my hair perfectly made, sit still, or stick to all social norms, but these things create the differences that exist within me that some… may call flaws.

When I was a child I used to swing on my swing-set all day singing to myself. It was the happiest I ever remember being. I decided that I wanted to recreate this joy, but in present day. Although, not all of life is happy, the shoot re-created joy, which you can decide is real or not. I also wanted to be silly in the photos, which I find joy and I know I am my true self when I can wear a cheetah onsie and not feel weird. Because I am weird.

This shoot was much more difficult than the rest. I am usually am behind the lens, looking into someone else’s life. This gave me a chance to refine my way of thinking of photos before hand, because you are not able to see the light as the photo is being snapped because you are in it. 

Sally Mann tid-bit

Sally Mann is an interesting photographer through her use of objects that she either sees everyday, or contemplates everyday. The idea that the objects, and people you surround yourself with, make up who you are, is an interesting understanding of yourself. Although, I do not believe that her work with her children, and the work with death are self portraits, I do believe that they reflect an understanding of her life. The very first and last photo that she takes could be seen as a self portrait as well due to the nature of the photo, but Sally sees her subject such as her children and husband more than she sees herself. Therefore, her self portrait is just another model and form of expression through photography. The photo that she takes of herself is another way of understanding a subject that she has to face the good the bad and the beautiful with. 

Self portraiture is a complex understanding of ones self in one moment, when we tend to live life through many moments. Yet, the great part is that we get to explore ourselves more, which helps us better understand others. If we don't care and love ourselves, how are we to do the same for others? 

Photo Project and Gender

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For this project I have selected photos that both reflect masculine and feminine representations through texture and imagery. These photos are representations of not only the differences of the duality that these gendered structures represent, but also of the similarities. As the photos progress the images become less obvious in the differences and you begin to see that really the opposition in form is only clear through texture. Judith Butler explains, “Gender is a kind of imitation for which there is no original; in fact, it is a kind of imitation that produces the very notion of the original as an effect and consequence of the imitation itself...what they imitate is a phantasmic ideal of heterosexual identity...gay identities work neither to copy nor emulate heterosexuality, but rather, to expose heterosexuality as an incessant and panicked imitation of its own naturalized idealization.” The purpose of these photos are to emulate this heteronormity and slowly break down the gendered system to nothing more than just liquid and solid; states of being that neither are opposite or the same, but exit together all the same.