Expressing Myself in Pictures
I was assigned to take a self portrait which I've never really taken before outside of snapchatting or taking a selfie to show off my new glasses. So you can see why this particular assignment was especially challenging for me. However, I immediately had ideas. I wanted to try to represent as many pieces of myself as possible so I created a series pictures that all tie together to describe me, Jessie Lee Tofaute.
This was my artistic statement for the project:
"I chose to string two separate pictures together for multiple reasons. The main reason being that I feel like I have two sides of myself: one that looks back and appreciates the past memories, and one that looks forward to the upcoming adventures. This is why I will first describe each composited piece of work separately before I describe them together.
"The first main component is a compilation of different images that represent or are significant to me. I chose to layout each image as one might while constructing a scrapbook of memories from their life to represent my favorite memory. All the images are crooked, except the Bible Verse for a reason I will describe later on. I layered each image in a specific order of importance to be from the background (least important – although all important) to the top layer (most important). Below is a bullet pointed list of the layer name and a brief description of why it helps describe me or adds to the aesthetic of the composite:
"Background: These purple-blue flowers are found all around Greece, which is where I live for the time being. Purple and blue are also my favorite colors.
"London: London is one of my favorite cities in Europe, and I really loved this picture I took there.
"Flagstaff: My home institution, Northern Arizona University is found in Flagstaff where I lived my first year of college. That year changed me, and added to who I am today.
"iPhone: The iPhone image of Hydra signifies my connection to Snapchat (as displayed in the picture), as well as other photo sharing sites: Instagram, my blog, Facebook, etc.
"Fire: This is a picture of a long-exposure picture I took of steel wool lit on fire and being spun. I always take these kind of pictures with friends so it displays my relationship to friends and fun.
"Hydra: Although I did really enjoy Hydra, I added this image to represent my love of quiet locations by the ocean. I also thought the colors went well with the rest of the images.
"Parthenon: Since it is found in Athens which is where I can also be found right now, I obviously needed to add it. This time for me, studying abroad, is new and exciting and I believe is currently shaping me as a person.
"Butterfly: I wanted to display my photography skills throughout this assignment, but I also love the simple innocence that a white butterfly signifies, I can relate to such characteristics.
"Giraffe: This is my favorite land animal.
"Turtle: This is my favorite sea animal.
"Wave: This is one of my favorite images I have ever taken, and I also have a personal love for the ocean, swimming, and the sea life within. I also took this picture in Maui, Hawaii which is my favorite place in the world.
"USA: Where I have lived all my life (other than these two semesters I am abroad).
"Scuba: I love scuba diving, snorkeling, and swimming in general.
"Hiking: Hiking is also a favorite pastime of mine. It is a defining characteristic of myself (I’ve even hiked the Grand Canyon rim to rim in one day before).
"Photography: I hope this one is obvious. I am majoring in photography, and for the past six years, photography has been a big part of my life.
"Family: My family is extremely important to me which is why it is the third layer from the top. My parents especially have influenced the person I am today.
"Jonah: My boyfriend is also important to me, and since we have been best friends for four years now, he has impacted my life greatly.
"Bible Verse: This is the only image that is not crooked as well as the top layer. God and my faith bleeds into every other area of my life therefore making it the most important factor in identifying me. God is also the only element that is solid and unchanging, which is why it is the straightest image while all the others are off-balanced.
"The second image only has three components: the map as the backdrop, an American passport, and my smiling self. I am mostly a happy person which is why I am smiling in all of the pictures you can see my face in. My passport is important because it is my ticket to all the places I’ve been and all the places I want to go. Finally, the map is of Greece and identifies me as someone who is lost in a new country but has direction and a place to go.
"When both of the images are viewed together as one piece, I appear to be smiling and looking to the left (at the other image) as well as up. I am looking back because I have already lived a full life and have many wonderful memories to show for that. I also enjoy reminiscing over old photographs of happy times almost as much as I like capturing images of new happy times (one of the main reasons I am a photographer). I am looking up because I view myself as an optimistic person who finds positivity in looking ahead (or in this case, up) to the next great adventure. The second image represents my current self. I am well aware of the blessed life I have lived so far, but I am still planning new places to go, as well as anticipating the next stages of my life."
