| Self Portrait At The Bottom Of The Sea, 2008 |
| i am not my own sometimes my flesh bends and the things i have loved fall out to form my eyes and arms. ~K. Amorphous I am not a photographer or a narcissist, but a performance artist with a camera. Using a combination of light, makeup, wigs, costumes, props and physical nuance I create a multiplicity of identities and freeze them in the still photograph. I want to push the boundaries of what I define as self and other by playing with ideas of identity, gender and archetype and the myriad ways in which they can be represented. I am inspired and fascinated by all of the subtle variations in mood and character that human beings are capable of. I can more deeply explore these moods and archetypes by physically transforming into them for a moment in time. Self-portraits are inevitable, because I am the only one capable of accurately expressing the images that take shape in my mind. However, I have a hard time identifying with my work as "self" portraiture, because all of these characters and personalities are their own. I just try to give them life for a moment, acting as a screen for them to play on. My ideas tend to be conceptually eclectic, ranging from interpretations of pre-existing iconography to the surreal, bizarre and spiritually symbolic. I am inspired by everything from Pre-Raphaelite art and Hindu iconography to dark comedy and cult films, as well as images that crop up in my own mind or in dreams. I work entirely with available and improvisational lighting, including floor lamps, flashlights, and windows. All costuming, styling, makeup, photography and post processing are self-created. I shoot digital, yet prefer a more traditional photographic aesthetic over heavily digitized post processing. All effects are created in camera other than adjustments in tones and the occasional texture overlay I sometimes use to give an "aged" effect to period pieces. Giving birth to these images and nursing them from concept to fruition is one of my greatest passions, and I find it more artistically fulfilling than any other medium I have worked in. My background is in creative writing and the spoken word, and I am finding a powerful link between the written word and the wordless image. The still image is without words, yet is capable of equally as much poetry. There is a paradox there that is quite beautiful, and I love every minute that I am able to work with it. In a good session, that collaboration will be tangible in the finished work. My heroes are saints, rabblerousers, eccentrics, sages, poets, hippies, misfits, old folks, children, madmen, Gods and drag queens For a more in-depth explanation of my work and concepts, please visit my interview with Brian Sherwin of MyArtSpace.com ~Kalliope Blog: www.Musecatcher.com MYSPACE YOUTUBE ETSY |
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"I laugh in the face of danger. Then I hide until it goes away."
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Golf and alcohol don't mix and that's why I don't drink and drive.
(:
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Explore my gallery! [link]
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Explore my gallery! [link]
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