Senior Thesis: The Single Self
Completing my senior thesis project was an important milestone for me. Being the introspective human that I am, I wanted my thesis to tell a personal story. But there are so many different stories to tell, and different aspects of my journey as an individual. Self portraiture provides a way to share a side of myself to the world, but I couldn't decide which side to share. So my solution was to share all of them. Portraiture’s ability to explore and uncover truths about identity is what drives my mission as an artist, and storyteller. Identity is multifaceted, and my own personality varies depending on my environment, my mood, or the present company. “The Single Self” is a series of self-portraits that visually captures the multiplicity of an individual identity.
The project plots these identities on a visual timeline. Even though I photographed each image within the span of about 3 months, they encompass years of personal adaptations. Sickness sometimes looks like a stairwell, and a daughter may look like her father, according to her mother. Sixteen years old is a fairytale in a forest, while nineteen is a queer woman with colorful bed sheets. Even though each photograph is a self-portrait, I wanted each to stand alone as its own identity, to further emphasize the fact that the definition of “self” is multi-layered, and constantly changing. But rather than interpreting the images as completely separate portraits, I see them collectively as a story. Parts of it are derived from people who influence my characteristics, such as my father, while others are formed by my own attributes and growth. Each portrait acts as both a disguise and a confession, as singular parts to a cohesive whole.
The opening reception was the best kind of whirlwind. It was truly touching to see how many friendly faces came out to support everyone's hard work at the show. After working with these images for months, it's been easy to be my own worst critic and second guess their impact and potential. But after finally sharing the series in public, the feedback I got was incredibly gratifying. Sharing personal journeys is therapeutic, and connecting with others through art is so inspiring. It has been an ideal culmination of my time at New York University, and I'm psyched to discover new sides of myself in the years to come.
Marilyn
