MUSÉE 29 – EVOLUTION
Evolution explores the concepts of progress, transformation, growth, and advancement in an age when images are taking a dramatic shift in the role they play in our lives.
All tagged Women Crush Wednesday
I would find women on the street who looked interesting whether because they were wearing some different clothing or because they looked like they would be into being talked to. I would approach them, ask them if I could chat with them a bit, questioning them on their religious life, their belief and why living a life with rules was so much better than no rules at all. I would speak to them regarding their daily chores and family engagements
Two years ago, I read an article about the horrible circumstances of people with albinism (PWA) in Tanzania. It described the widely held superstitions among Tanzanians - including the widespread practices of so-called witch doctors who use their body parts in potions. Because of these practices, PWA are persecuted, attacked and killed. They are considered not to be human.
We see the world in color. The color in the spaces I was photographing is part of the story and the color becomes just as important as the content It helps differentiate the salons and creates a mood and personality to the images I wanted the images to pop I wanted them to be vibrant saturated and bright color plays a huge role in the story telling aspect of these images If I had shot this project in black and white I would’ve missed the color in the hair skin clothing and the interiors of the salons
At first, when I began this series it was an investigation into how my mother raised me and my identity within femininity and how she contributed to that identitiy. As I kept working with her, the series began focusing on our relationship and the history we have within our family between her and I, and her and her mother as well. She is generally apprehensive when I make portraits of her, but the more time I spend with this work the more collaborative it has become.
I think the series just grew. They are all iterations of the same issue: women being known through their domestic status. How that is defined or explored has changed with each section. I am not sure any picture or group of pictures are more important to me. I am more concerned with which pictures are able to convey the idea, and to which other people can relate. Beauty and accessibility are important to me.
My self-portraits are a projection of my inner voice. What may seem abstract to the viewer is to me a language rooted in symbolism and allegory. I am photographing my dream self.
It's all about skin. I use whatever materials and methods I need to in order to explore the experience and ideas of skin and the body.
The trick of embedding subjects and objects into environments is getting the gravity right, giving weight to the newly positioned elements. It so easily for it to look flat and pasted. A lot of attention has to be paid to the edges of each merged item. Details like tiny strands of hair and blades of grass help cover the seams and add believability. While it might sound tedious, this is my favorite part. The saying that the angel is in the details really applies here. In the end, if I succeed at creating a convincing illusion, it feels like magic to me and that's what I live for.
I felt like I found her secret diary. What do these photographs mean? Why were they sealed up in the bottom of this suitcase? And that led to the broader questions of: what version of the truth gets passed down to the next generation and what stories do we keep locked in our hearts? And what kind of woman was my grandmother before she became a wife and mother? What were her options in terms of love and how have those choices or pressures shifted from her generation to mine? What did she think about when she was alone and what did that look like? These were some of the questions I had when I began this series.
I was drawn in by the kids. The millenials are an age group that fascinate me - they are so often criticized for being either ‘entitled’ or too driven - it seems like they can’t win, during a transitional period of their lives that is already challenging.
Context is important when we look at and understand visual images. When we look at a photograph, the images next to it will influence it’s meaning and how we interpret it. I am intrigued with creating a mood and establishing a rhythm for the viewer but also leaving things open for interpretation and possibility.
