Final Project: Photo Portraits
The purpose of this portrait series was to investigate the way power relations fluctuate when assuming roles—the Photographer, the Subject, the Viewer—that are defined and attached to the medium of photography and how that affects the results. I’ve chosen two poses: in the first the Subject looks at the camera and, indirectly, at the Viewer; in the second, the Subject is turned away in another direction. Though the American flag can be a loaded symbol of power, for my purposes, I chose to view it as a backdrop. However, despite wanting to remain focused on the Subject, I realize the background is heavy and looms over him or her, reminding me of the power relations that exist in everything and everywhere.
I think French filmmaker Robert Bresson had the right idea when he said that the model is ”what you make known of yourself by coincidence with him.” The Viewer is reliant on the Subject and therefore the Photographer in order to access the medium. Though the relations between Photographer, Subject and Viewer are essentially those of scientia sexualis, where each person assumes a role, the product of this triangular relationship conforms to its medium—in this case, photography—and therefore the ambiguity of the ars erotica, art for arts sake.
*photos to be posted shortly
