Storyteller
She was nestled in a bookshelf among other discarded dolls and old artifacts. Chaotic hair and overdressed in fire engine red, with eyes that followed you across the room. Small in stature but strong in personality, she was mine for $26.
I find myself talking aloud as I photograph her, apologizing for the constant posing, the imposition of being placed in water, covered with dandelion seeds and balanced in trees. Drawn to her complex gaze, hidden smile and seemingly never-ending expressions, I begin work on an explorative self-portrait series, unveiling autobiographical memories of people and experiences.
The images consist of (re)constructed moments in time that have been loosely woven together. Windows into the past, they capture elusive emotions and express experiential moments that are simultaneously personal and universal.
I am interested in the blurred line between memory and reality, the connection with the past and how it contributes to the formation of a present Self. The content of our memory informs our sense of identity, regardless of its reliability. Our understanding of how things were in the past is inevitably shaped by how things are in the present - by who we are now.
Memory serves the storyteller as much as it serves the truth.
