The New Us

    I was inspired by Sophia Calle because although her work is seen as unique and weird. She takes pictures from her perspective on how she views the world. Around the time she had taken photographs images of strangers that she would follow, simply because they interest her. However, in my photographs that I have taken, I related it to the time that we are going through now. This pandemic and the several months that we were in quarantine, isolated from everyone else. My decision on taking black and white photographs of myself wearing a mask outside alone at night expresses how I felt and still feel through the hard times that we are living through now. Around the time of the quarantine, I was at a low point. I was constantly worried and scared of the unexpected. I decided that I would express my emotions and a way to express them may be depicted through the images I have taken. I based my decision on taking these images for my final project because I found that I could portray my emotions and feelings. In these images, I feel like you can see the emotions that I felt throughout the time. The artist that inspired me for this project, is Sophie Calle. She simply takes images for her own reasons, simply for the pleasure of following them, not because they interested her. She would use her photographs and creating stories of these individuals that she would capture on the image. In some images, she would have a blur effect that presented a new form of art. These images depict my raw and utmost emotions that I have currently been feeling. These past couple of months, I have felt so alone and confused. This new world has definitely taken a toll on most of us. These images were taken at night for a reason, there are times where you are alone, and your mind just wanders. At night, is when I believe you do your best thinking. Especially during this time, you can't help but just think. Regardless of the thoughts are good or not. In my first self-portrait project, I touched on different various different issues that are important to me. On my flag self-portrait project, I focused on the various issues with immigration and child separation policies that I do not agree with. In my performance self-portrait project, I touched on my struggles with anxiety and depression and how I have struggled with this, especially now. Even in my self-portrait project, I had created a collage of images of me and how I thought the world viewed me. It focused on the insecurities that I have and the changes throughout life, that we have no control over.