I enjoy working with photography, I believe a camera can capture moments that can’t be described as well in words. So, I was already sure that I wanted to use some form of photography in my project. As I started to brainstorm, I considered taking photos of women and highlighting the key points. For example, I used red paint in a black and white image of a women topless hiding her face, representing one of various identity women have today in our society, shameful. I have worked before with paint in my photography, so I felt comfortable using it again.
I have to admit, I was a little nervous when I realized that I would be doing something completely different to what I normally do. Yet, I was excited to try and challenge myself. I decided that instead of placing things on the photograph to make a new piece, I would be ripping the photograph apart to represent a broken piece.
I started with various photos. I went through six different photos until I realized that I wanted this to be personal. I didn’t want a friend to be my foundation. I wanted someone who inspired me to stand out. I chose the photograph of my aunt, Marena in the Miss Universal contest.
I wanted to get the effect of something being taken away, in this case, identity. I liked the idea of the sticky mess that tape and glue leave behind when you rip it off something. The next step was finding the perfect tape to fulfill this visual. I went through four different tapes and finally narrowed it down to two, regular scotch office tape and duck tape with some texture on it. I liked how the duck tape had a different feel compared to the rest. It almost felt like a bandaid, which I thought represented the idea nicely. I needed to find a tape that was also strong enough to actually rip the photograph. After running a few trials, I found that the duck tape not only looked better, but represented the project efficiently.
I decided that I would apply the tape in a messy manner. As if it was rushed and violently ripped, instead of a clean finish. I did this because I wanted to symbolize how women are not these delicate creatures. I wanted to stand for a strong and labor oriented reflection of women today as leaders.
