Figure Studies
Location
SU 214
Department
Art
Abstract
I’m an artist from Algonquin, Illinois, and received my Associates of Arts Degree from Elgin Community College in 2019. I have exhibited in numerous shows such as the SPE Midwest juried exhibition, at Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design. Throughout my work I use photography as a tool to revisit memories, and the camera to explore relationships with my past and present self. In my current series, I use my camera as a tool to explore body image. During the lockdown in 2020, I was able to reflect on my relationship with myself and dive into how body image has affected it. Growing up with the rise of social media and a fluctuating body, I, like many others, never felt good enough. These images are challenging that belief. The process of making these images has become an important part of the project. By spending time alone and photographing my nude form, I am building a stronger relationship with myself and growing more comfortable in my own skin. I'm showing different parts of my body in ways I don't usually see myself. These are images about acceptance, and using self-portraiture as a tool to explore the body and my relationship to it. These close-up images are zoomed-in, or cropped, to make them appear more abstract. Blowing them up to be 16x20” makes them larger than life, adding to this abstraction. These elements are important for this body of work, to force the viewer to look closer at specific parts of my body, and question what they are actually viewing. By making these images black and white with low contrast, I am creating a softness that further emphasizes the vulnerability of nude portraits.
Faculty Sponsor
Kim Ambriz, Northeastern Illinois University
Figure Studies
SU 214
I’m an artist from Algonquin, Illinois, and received my Associates of Arts Degree from Elgin Community College in 2019. I have exhibited in numerous shows such as the SPE Midwest juried exhibition, at Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design. Throughout my work I use photography as a tool to revisit memories, and the camera to explore relationships with my past and present self. In my current series, I use my camera as a tool to explore body image. During the lockdown in 2020, I was able to reflect on my relationship with myself and dive into how body image has affected it. Growing up with the rise of social media and a fluctuating body, I, like many others, never felt good enough. These images are challenging that belief. The process of making these images has become an important part of the project. By spending time alone and photographing my nude form, I am building a stronger relationship with myself and growing more comfortable in my own skin. I'm showing different parts of my body in ways I don't usually see myself. These are images about acceptance, and using self-portraiture as a tool to explore the body and my relationship to it. These close-up images are zoomed-in, or cropped, to make them appear more abstract. Blowing them up to be 16x20” makes them larger than life, adding to this abstraction. These elements are important for this body of work, to force the viewer to look closer at specific parts of my body, and question what they are actually viewing. By making these images black and white with low contrast, I am creating a softness that further emphasizes the vulnerability of nude portraits.