Through the Looking Glass: a Self Portraiture Exploration of Selfhood and Identity

Student: Kelsey Nolin
Major: Studio Art
Advisors: Bridget Milligan, Walter Zurko, Tracy Cosgriff
During the lifetime of every being, we are only guaranteed one companion that will never leave us:  ourselves.  And, as with all relationships, we must engage with our partner, growing with them, and shedding the skins that no longer suit us. In this Senior Independent Study Project, I utilized the medium of photography to further explain my own relationship with self and identity. Through the exclusive use of self-portraiture, I was forced to confront all aspects of myself, both the darkest corners and the brightest lights.  By taking this in-depth exploration into my emotional and psychological experiences throughout the course of my senior year of undergraduate study, I gained greater understanding of who I was when I began this journey, who I am now, and who I am meant to be in the next chapter.  It is my hope that this body of work will not only provide the viewer with a greater understanding of my experiences as I engage with the themes of identity and womanhood, but that they will also leave this exhibition encouraged to turn the lens inward.

Kelsey will be online to field comments on May 8:
2-4pm EDT (PST 11am-1pm, Africa/Europe: evening)

Posted in I.S. Symposium, Independent Study on May 4, 2020.