Artist Statement

Memory can be a tricky thing.  When asked to recall a certain event or time, I often find it very difficult to accurately bring to mind much of what I have experienced in my life.  I often contributed this to genetics because my father is extremely forgetful and I find myself following in his footsteps more and more.  Much of my  memories are very scattered and skewed.  I often fell like I am barely flitting through my life experiences when I try to evoke them.

As a photographer, I not only use the camera to create new imagery to communicate a concept, but I also use it to record my experiences.  I have done a lot of traveling and have many photographs to "prove" where I have been.  I love looking back at these images I captured because they hemp me remember my past.  This is one of the reasons I became interested in photography in the first place.

In this series, there are two layers to each image.  The silver gelatin images presented are from a trip to France in 2001.  I have drawn over these images with oil pastels in order to convey what happens when I look at these images.    When I view them, I am taken back to the time of my travels, but I never can fully remember my experiences.  The images become representations of a time in which I used to exist, but to my present self, they are just that- representations.  The photographs remind me of places I once visited, and it is with this proof that I am able to remember some fleeting memories of my travels.  

The second layer is of a figure in each image, which is a self-portrait depicting how I interact with my memories.  As I have said before, may times my memory is skewed and much of the information that is missing is filled in with my imagination.  I often skirt through imagery in my mind of past events that may or may not always be accurate.  Many times my memories become daydreams and I find myself contemplating my past experiences like a waking life.  The figures are in color and are captured digitally to contrast with the silver gelatin prints.  This is also a metaphor for the past versus the present which is a major part of how memory functions.

There are seven images in this series consisting of two parts.  The base image is a silver gelatin print with mixed media using black and white oil pastels.  The second layer is an image captured digitally then inkjet printed with color on transparency.  The layers are representations of the past and present and the way I interact with my memories.  

Final

This series of images is for my final.  I will post my artist statement soon. 

Final in-progress

This is my final project in-progress.  I got a lot of feedback in class yesterday about it.  I think I'm going to have to reshoot a lot more figures.  I need to be less tense and more "flowy".  The figure is too stressed in the second image, which isn't what I want.  I want the imagery to flow and seem connected.  I still am really liking the process though.  I have been in my darkroom a lot lately making prints, so it's nice to be doing that again.  And working with multimedia again is always fun.  It's been a while, so I'm glad I decided to try my hand at it again.  I think the oil pastels really help with the dreamlike qualities of the imagery.  The first image I used OHP, but the blue cast isn't working so well.  So the second image is on transparency film and it works much better.  Now I just need to have the figure more like the one in the first image and I'll be set.  Only 2 more weeks until my final!  I've got a lot of work to do!

Idea for Final Project

So I know I showed this image before, but I wanted to talk about it some more.   I want to incorporate film and digital/ black and white with color.  I'm considering either using old b/w self-portraits and making them new by adding new color self-portraits.  OR taking new b/w photos or scenes- nature probably and then adding the color self-portraits over them.  I'm planning on printing the color on OHP transparency and having the finished photo actually be two surfaces on top of one another.  We'll see what happens in the next few weeks.  On an exciting note, I finally have my darkroom done in my basement!  So I am very looking forward to working more in the darkroom! 

Self As Subject

This image is a pretty literal interpretation of self as subject.  My only addition would be to have a camera on a tripod in the image as well to show that it is indeed a self portrait.  I've been playing around with the frame within a frame layout and I really like it.  I might have to play around with it for a while and see where it goes.  

The other image is another experiment.  It is a digital image printed on transparency overlaid on a black and white print.  Both are self-portraits. 

Bath Time

 

This is an image for my Lighting class, but since it's a self-portrait, I decided to post it on here.  As you have figured out by now, I mostly work in the self-portraiture realm.  However, I really like to expand the ideas I have after I work them out on my own and then branch out with others.  In this case, I worked with a couple friends, Lauren and Andrew, who were kind enough to "fall asleep" in my bathtub as a continuation of this series.  I was able to work out all the kinks and details with my self-portrait in the bathtub so when it came time to work with others, it went really smoothly and I didn't feel rushed at all.  This is usually the reason I steer clear from portraits of others,  but this shoot was actually fantastic!  So, I hope you enjoy. :)  

Relationships

This series was for my Lighting class midterm.  I  mostly used natural light, because I love it.  And I also used some tungsten here and there.  These are just a few from the series.  The series is about womens' relationships with each other.  We can be loyal, caddy, bitchy, judgmental, caring, trusting, etc.  Both of the figures in each image are self-portraits.  I wanted to include myself as both figures because the psyche of a woman is so complicated, but we all have some of the same characteristics that bond us together.  We can all be the bitch or the lover, the apathetic person or the caring one.  We are all complex beings.  Enjoy!

Alter Ego

Countess Convoy, or THE COUNTESS according to her fan, was born in Berlin, Germany.  Her age is unknown.  She has been an integral part of the formation of several influential bands.  Namely, Courtesy Queen, The Flashers and HumDrum Dolls.  After many years as lead guitarist in the glam rock band, Sparkle Fish, she has struck out on her own.  Her solo project, Corduroy Blue, has opened to mixed reviews.  THE COUNTESS has a remarkable fan base however, and his undying devotion will surely help her outlive Cher.  

I created this series for my Self As Subject class.  The assignment was:  Alter Ego.  I decided to do a glammed out rock star.  I got the idea from taking something that is already a huge part of my life (music) and going to the EXTREME with it.  Although I have always dreamt of being a famous musician, I'm not quite so sure The Countess is what I had in mind. :)  It was fun anyway.  And I had a wonderful coach for this shoot... my husband, Seth, helped me with a lot of my poses.  He knows what it's like to be a rock star I guess.  

  p.s. the coloring is weird on here, I'm not quite so pink.  So i'll try to fix that later....

ManEater

This is a series for my Lighting class.  I thought I'd include it here for fun.  The assignment was just to take portraits using one light with a softbox or umbrella.  I, of course, did self-portraits.  I had a lot of fun and think these turned out pretty well.  I'm really going to have to work on printing though because I want the colors to be as saturated as they can be and not be clipped.  

Photobooth

For this project, I took 8 strips of photos in a photobooth. I then had the idea to scan in and shrink the images down to a smaller size in order to fit on a rubik's cube. I originally wanted actual body parts to line up and for there to be an answer to the puzzle. I found this was a bit too difficult since positioning my body inside the booth the way I wanted was almost impossible. So instead the "puzzle" is more of a mixed up reflection of my moods and personality. I really like the way it turned out. I used Mod Podge to adhere the photocopies to the plastic cube and as a sealant as well.

Midterm

 This series explores the idea of purgatory.  The feelings of being trapped, isolated, cornered and then defeated.  There is a solitary, ghostly figure in each image.  The figure's feet are still and in focus, where the body is blurry and ghost-like.  The hands are also in focus in some images.  This represents the inbetween stages of life and death.  Parts of the body are still intact and tangible while the "soul" is trying to break free.  The symbolism of the hallways and doors as corridors to the other world is used repeatedly, as is the symbol of the corner representing being trapped.  The figure is trying to break free of the structure of the empty house and escape outside- whatever that may be.  (I drew inspiration for this series from my Transformation image below).

Transformation

   

So for this image, I really tried to transform my body in a way that it was unrecognizable as me at first.  I really wanted my features to be distorted and exaggerated.  The only recognizable parts of my body are my hands and feet.  Both of which I think are very easily seen as mine, in a closer look.  I've been thinking more and more about how I can visualize the bodily distortions my mind creates.  I definitely feel like I am oversized at times and I wanted to capture this in a photograph.  I am trying to figure out why I am drawn to this image though.  I want to build upon this image for my Midterm series.  I like exploring the idea of being trapped in a corner, in your own home.   My professor and classmates saw a Francesca Woodman influence in this photo, and I can definitely see it too.  I find that I am very drawn to her concepts and style.  

Brave

This is the substitute for my brave photo.  I decided to take nudes, full frontal for my actual brave photo.  I am not brave enough to show them to anyone though.  Not even my husband.  Maybe someday.  Anyway, so I was also thinking about what I'm afraid of, and aging is definitely something that scares me.  I created this image with aging in mind, as well as my hatred of my feet.  I wanted to imply the female form as well while keeping the image vague and abstract.  I want the viewer to be able to have his or her own interpretations, but also wanted my concept to be clear enough that one could understand it if they studied the photo enough.  

Self-portraits under different light sources

These photos are for a different class, but they are self-portraits, so I thought I would share them here.  The assignment was to take a portrait under daylight, tungsten and fluorescent lights.  It was a lot of fun to work on, and I'm happy with the results.  

Psychological Self-Portrait

  For this particular image, I really wanted to create conflicting imagery.  I took many photographs of my face under a spotlight in the dark to create drama.  I then added color casts using curves in Photoshop to add contrasting colors to the image.  I used green and magenta.  The small portion of magenta helps to highlight a small part of my face and brings attention to detail.  I had a lot of fun creating this image.  Working in Photoshop is one of my favorite things to do.  I love layering images and changing opacity to create the effect I want.  This is a psychological self-portrait showing the many layers of a person in turmoil.  The week I made this I was very sick and was struggling to make my body do what my mind and heart wanted.  I created this image hoping to show this.  

Self-Portrait Number One

First Entry

This blog is dedicated to the class Self As Subject at the Academy of Art.  It is taught by Connie Begg, one of the best professors ever!  I'm very excited/ nervous about this class.  I know it's going to be a challenge and I'm going to grow so much as a person and an artist this semester.  I'm really looking forward to creating more work!  I think I'm still going to stick mostly to digital for now.  Hopefully I can get my darkroom set up in my basement so I can experiment a little more with that.  Also maybe try some multi-media/ collage/ photo montage stuff.  I think this is going to be a great semester.