Title
Creation Date
2015
Preview
Medium
pigment print
Description
Dimensions: 18 x 12 inches
This work is part of the series entitled Impression Series.
Rights
© Emily Maria Robb, 2015.
Exhibit Images
Series Title: Impression Series
Keywords
impressions, photography, body image, self reflect, self esteem, black & white
Artist Statement
Beauty marketers and advertisers portray in their advertisements how beauty is only perceived in a definite way. Our society goes out of their way to buy certain clothing brands, wardrobe styles, and much more in order for us to mimic what we see in magazines, billboards, commercials, etc. This is done so that we can be seen as beautiful or good looking. Due to the beauty industries pushing our society in looking a particular way, people have began to doubt their looks which leads to self esteem issues, depression, and more.
For my Impressions Series, I have decided to photograph myself because I relate strongly to self-esteem issues, like many others. In the first photograph you see my hand with strong impressions left behind on my fingers from rings I was wearing previously. My hand is placed on a black backdrop so that there is a strong contrast between shadows and light. I have presented the photographs in black and white so that there are no distractions from skin tones and color. The simplicity of black and white offers a direct attention to the strong impressions left from the jewelry, clothing items, and accessories. We go out of our way and spend lots of money on wardrobe in order to feel good about the way we look. Sometimes these clothing or jewelry items can leave behind strong impressions. This shows how no matter the stress we put on our bodies or on ourselves we will ignore that so we can do our best to look just as the vogue cover, or whatever we have been thought to believe as beautiful.
I choose photography as my choice of medium because I feel it is the best way for me to show my frustrations and issues with the beauty industries and marketers. Photography gives a real look into my particular low self-esteem issues I struggle with and presenting them in a more natural state. By continually using my camera with my art, I am able to affectively document and present the struggles of self-esteem issues people (and myself) constantly face. For this series I used natural window lighting in order to maintain naturalist and even tones.
This series is to raise the question of what impact does the beauty advertisers and marketers have on our society and getting us to this low and unhappy approach to ourselves when comparing to our body image and wardrobe. We should all feel good in our natural appearance and be confidant in who we are. Rather than what we do not appear as compared to what we are seeing in magazines, TV commercials, etc.