Memoir Artist Statement and Documentation 09/27/17

I remember the bitter ache in my stomach because I couldn’t feel the subtle warmth radiating off of your arm that I had grown comfortable to having by my side.

With this project I wanted to focus on how each memory as I felt them with in my body. That is why I chose to take a series of self portraits. In this thine of change who I am as a person have been questioned and effected. During this time I have been stripped down from everything I am used to, the people I know to love, the environment that normally surrounded me and the routine that I created for myself to just myself. I am a blank canvas right now. I wanted to show my bare skin because it is a sign of strength and vulnerability, both of those traits are a part of my current state.  I have been stripped to the core of who I am away from the life and people I grew up with and that took great courage from myself to do that but can be a weakness at times. Each image relates directly to a memory I had on regards to how it felt with in my body and soul. Each image and pose is a visual representation of the reaction physically that each moment had on my body. I included detail shots of my body, an outsiders perspective of myself and a figurative image from my mind. All three tie back to how the memory is sensed by me. Either a sight in my mind, a physical reaction I could feel in my body or on my skin and sights on how the effects would look on my expression.

I remember I was running away in my mind.

I remember how tight the skin under my eyes felt after I would cry.

I remember I weeped everyday but still felt peace in the hollow of my chest like a warm buzz.

I remember the deep pains in my stomach as it begged for food.

I remember the constant ache in the back of my eyes as the rolled around in my head after not getting enough sleep.

I remember watching the rainbows quietly dance and sway across my bedroom walls at noon.

I remember looking at myself from afar and not recognizing the person I was because of the unfamiliar words that stung rolling off of my tongue.

I remember looking up at the pale blue sky, feeling the wind on my face, breathing deep into my lungs to the point that it burned and thought of how far I had come to get to this point.

I remember I, my soul, felt like an angel. weightless and glistening in the sunlight.

3 Comments

  1. loger264 · October 1, 2017 Reply

    1. The elements of design that I notice in this piece are color, shape, and texture. The pieces are all created within a color scheme of oranges, grays, and blues. This contributes to the cohesive feel of the pieces, as well as does the texture. Each piece but one contains skin as a subject matter. Both of these back up to the idea in the artists statement that the memories are being represented by the way they affect the body. The organic shapes combined with texture and color strongly contribute to the symbolism of this piece.

    2. Your ideas from your artists statement read strongly in your piece. The cohesiveness of the photographs based on color and subject makes this work feel very professional. The use of transposed images adds an extra layer of understanding to the piece as a whole. I enjoy reading the memory associated with each piece.

    3. I recommend that you watch The Tree of Life (2011). The I made connections from your piece to the cinematography as well as the major themes.

  2. turnn129 · October 1, 2017 Reply

    1. While looking at these photographs I noticed many elements of design. Some include, contrast, space, movement, and color. Each photo but one contains herself in the work. The body movements represent her memories and the state of mind she was in while recreating that specific moment. Each piece consists of high contrast lighting with warm tone colors. Emotion is a main factor in these photos, I get a sense of sadness, relaxation, and purity. Overall, the pieces are abstract but allow for the viewer to understand her idea after reading the written statements at the bottom of the photographs.

    2. Each photograph depicts your idea of using the body as a blank canvas. The strength you portrayed is noticeable in the poses of the body. After reading the artist statement I was able to put two and two together and really get a sense of your concept.

    3. I recommend looking at Vivian Maiers photography, specifically her self portrait series. All of her photos are black and white but contain high contrast lighting. I also recommend her self portrait shadow pieces. I think you would really enjoy looking at her work as inspiration!

  3. melbe123 · October 1, 2017 Reply

    1. I had noticed that Brooke had used different angles and different poses to portray a message about herself. Brooke seemed to have used a symbolic representation. She had deliberately placed her own self into the photos to show her own feelings about the shift from home. I am receiving a feeling of vulnerability throughout each of the photos because she is exposing herself.
    2. I believe you had portrayed your message clearly and the photographs are visually pleasing to look at. I enjoyed connecting the memories to each photograph. However, I was drawn more towards the photograph that was of the houses. This seemed to take a little focus away from the other photographs.
    3. I recommend looking into an blogger on Instagram called iamkareno because she has a similar style in photography.

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