PLAYING WITH BARBIES : ANALOG
This body of work represents an extension of my ongoing series, "Playing with Barbies," integrating the tactile essence of manipulating photographic advertisements with in-camera collage captured on medium format film. Through my immersive journey in this project, I have discovered that intentionally slowing down my shooting process, adopting a hands-on methodology, and embracing the inherent imperfections of shooting film has contributed to the therapeutic nature of creating this series.
PLAYING WITH BARBIES : digital photograms
PLAYING WITH BARBIES EXPLORES MY RELATIONSHIP WITH PERFECTIONISM AND ITS PARALLEL TO FEMALE REPRESENTATION IN THE MEDIA. THESE IN-CAMERA COLLAGES REPURPOSE BEAUTY AND FASHION ADS TO DESCRIBE THIS NARRATIVE. MY PROCESS FOR CREATING THESE IMAGES IS EXTENSIVE AND CATHARTIC. UTILIZING MULTIPLE EXPOSURE, WHILE INCORPORATING LIGHTS, GELS, AND PAINT, I JUXTAPOSE THE WOMEN DEPICTED AND THE OBJECTS THEY ARE PROMOTING TO CREATE SCENES OF BEAUTIFUL DISILLUSION. ADVERTISEMENTS AND MEDIA PROMOTE IMAGES, VALUES, AND DESIRES, WHICH CAN IMPACT HOW WE PERCEIVE OURSELVES AND STRIVE TO BE SEEN BY OTHERS. THIS PRACTICE ALLOWS ME TO REINVENT THESE MODALITIES BY DEVELOPING THEM INTO SOMETHING NEW. IN LOOKING AT THESE IMAGES THROUGH THE LENS OF MY CAMERA I AM ABLE TO EXAMINE THEM MORE OBJECTIVELY AND BOTH PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY REPROCESS THIS IMAGERY.
Faceless Portraits of the Atacama Desert
This work illustrates the physical marks we leave on the earth and imposes my own imprint by modifying the reality of the landscape to signify its unavoidable shift over time.
While assisting on an aerial assignment over the Atacama Desert in Chile, I looked for an approach to photographing what I was experiencing from the plane.
I focused on the shifting aesthetic of the environment and incorporated the use of colored gels and multiple exposure settings in my camera.
From this elevated vantage point, I explored the arid terrain’s incredible textures, tailing ponds, man-made carvings, and the resilience of abandoned mines.
This selection of images is a representation of my perception of the present experience combined with the notion of the desert's past and implied future.
Calles de Oaxaca
2023