Dandylying
This is my creative cusp. My let’s get it together and create. My, “What are you working on?” My attempts. My mess-ups. My surprises. My creative soul (if I were to have one).
Artist Statement
Lindenwood – Digital Photography
Towards MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts
The photographers I initially studied and were intrigued by were, Vivian Maier and Francesca Woodman. Both women experimented with self-portrait photography. Vivian’s self-portraits were mainly done through her reflection and shadow whereas Francesca’s self-portraits were set up like a theatrical set. Showing oneself in daily life or conveying one’s state through self-portraits was what I wanted to capture in my photographs.
I focused on my reflection and experimenting with light and how I am represented in the image. This exploration included my reflection in a puddle, in a picture of my daughter, in a spoon, and in glass from windows and doors. I liked how I was distorted in most images, and how the details of me were unclear or a silhouette. I found this created a looming feeling of me in a time and space.
As a middle-aged woman with many roles, I thought it was fascinating how to define who I am through an image. I studied photographer Elinor Carucci and her photos in the book, Midlife. I found her images to be direct and portray relatable images of middle age. Her examples pushed me to look for more ways to bring these concepts into my images through expression and clarity of concept. Whether it is gun violence or body image, my final project includes a series of images reflecting who I am through various reflections.
Dandylying
Let’s talk about it.