Artist Statement

This project investigates the intersection of painting and photography in recreating Gothic-style portraits. I am interested in the way technology does and does not play a role in the legacy of fine art. I sought to approach photography with the mindset of a painter in terms of composition and color palette. I wanted the camera to act as the brush and infuse a painterly quality into these images. I was inspired by work that evoked a very particular sense of time and place. Gothic art typically lives in a Victorian-era environment, regardless, though it focuses on spaces devoid of technology and evidence of the outside world. This seclusion allows the subject's emotions to be the landmark. There is an intersection of horror and romance that I infused into each setup, which is mirrored and amplified in my expressions and poses to provide said landmark. Backdrops and costuming were carefully chosen so as not to detract from my performance. The idea of time-traveling into a gothic painting was integral to my approach and made the self-portrait aspect central to achieving this. The portraits become personal, and the depth of emotion and human experience are made even more apparent. Combining a more classical style with a modern mode of conveyance allows us to see oneself in the past and present simultaneously. Mirrored in the use of vintage frames for display, this is the essence of this project.