Clarity Revised

For the project “Clarity Revised” I have collected and interpreted visually anonymous submissions that responded to the question, “What makes you feel overwhelmed and drowning?”. Targeting both young and middle-age groups I received a variety of responses, ranging from body image issues to sexuality and daily life stresses, such as paying the bills and raising a family. I have been able to relate to the anxieties of others on a profound level due to the fact that I am someone who has drowning moments myself, and this empathy has driven me to recreate other people’s emotions through a series of self-portraits. I am bringing the darkest sides of one’s mind to light by exposing those anxieties straight on. In order to emphasize the emotional aspects addressed in this project, I have kept the images colorless. Black and white allows me to detach from reality and create suggestive rather than literal images. By creating a platform where I put a variety of anxieties on display, I am inviting the viewer to relate to the specific ones they, or someone they love, suffers from. This work is a psychological exploration that aims to stir up uneasy emotions. The inspiration to make something seemingly unappealing into beauty comes from photographer John Coplans who photographed his aging body. I also relate to Francesca Woodman for her intriguing and unsettling photographs that open up narratives that the viewers have to complete themselves.