Self Portrait Artist Statement
Katie Morgan
My self-portrait was shot using a long-exposure and Christmas
lights. The image formed by moving the lights created a sort of glowing body
around me, almost like wings or maybe a cage. The idea that the body created by
the lights can be seen as either something used to mobilize me or to confine me
represents my struggle to find freedom in a relatively restrictive social
structure. The irony that light is usually seen as a positive image to provide
guidance is shown in the fact that the light is not guiding me at all, it is,
in fact, enclosing me. In the portrait, I wear a long ball gown despite my
location, which is a plain hallway. The inappropriateness of the clothing shows
that I have trouble conforming to expectations. I’m looking over my shoulder to
portray suspiciousness and apprehension of things around me. The perspective of
the shape of the hall makes the space look like its getting smaller as you go
forwards, which is the direction my body is facing. It feels like if I keep
walking in the direction I’m expected to go, I will be trapped.
Developing my image in the dark room took multiple attempts
of trial and error. The first 2 or 3 times I tried to develop the image from
the negative, the picture came out much too dark, making it hard to see my face
or dress. However, after turning the contrast up on the enlarger, I was able to
produce a better image, although I do not like the black and white developed
photo as much as I like the original colored image.
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