Artist Statement Spring 2009 (Advanced Photography)

Identity is a necessary aspect to a character. Without it the character becomes flat, or like an object with nothing more than a physical aspect to its identity. The details of one’s personality is what ties this all together – their mannerisms, their likes and dislikes, how they maintain their appearance, their possessions, their environment, their lifestyle, their diet, and also their bloodlines whether or not they carry on family traditions or expectations. Every character, fictitious or real, has a story, which is the main element that drives me to capture the identity of the characters I photograph.
As I create characters or attempt to capture an already existing character with my imagery, I realize that a very obvious character to portray is also myself. I find that self portraits are bold, fearless statements of an artist to clarify who the person is behind the artwork, and if it is at all possible to relate this imagery to their other work. I have come to find that my self portraits are not only attempts of bravely putting myself out there as an artist, but also as an exploration of my own character, which in turn may help me find other characters.