Self-Discovery.
Inspired by Craig Owens’s article Photography ‘en abyme’, I used the mirror’s property of double images, which allow me to represent the process that I embraced myself through discovery of self. To visualize this process, I used gesture, movement, the metaphor of the onion and intimacy of the bedroom. By putting two mirrors face to face, I produce an infinite suite of duplication images. And the infinite reduplication that occurs within this image suggests the specifics of the psychological process, the self-discovery. The process of self discovery is step by step, exploring the intention and motivation behind the surface, just like your gaze goes through the mirror from one layer to another layer. Also similar to the infinite reduplication, I think self discovery is a lifelong journey. Each time you listen to yourself, take time to reflect and evaluate, you become better at understanding your emotions, energy and sense of motivation.
The internal and external mirror suggests two different spaces, external actual space and the internal psychological space. I would like to mention that when you see the image, the only actual space or space outside the mirror is the space between the camera and the mirror wall, which is the foreground of the image.
The chopped onion has an acrid scent which makes people cry. I chose onions to symbolize the things, thoughts, events or problems I found during the self-discovery. I used the long exposure to present my hand’s movement, peel the onion’s shell, to represent the process of peeling away the layers to better understand myself.
Equilibrium is one of the main concepts in my project, because it is one of the ways I used to embrace myself. The symmetrical elements are present in the use of horizontal line, divisive background, gesture and the mirror in the middle. Symmetry is also present in the space, due to the mirror property, the distance between subject to the mirror utterly equal to the distance between mirror to reflection.
All of the photographs were shot in my bedroom, which is a personal space and a space for intimacy. I feel comfortable and safe when I am alone in my room, because my bedroom is a space where I could control everything. I could furnish the room according to my own taste, I can make it clear and organized or I could leave it messy and warm, it all depends on what I want and what I like. So, the connection between me and my bedroom reassures me to have enough space to explore and get in touch with my inner self.
