Jane Szabo

The balance between the self and the world outside can be a precarious one. We struggle to find a way to individualize ourselves, yet often merely blend in amongst the masses. Reconstructing Self is a series of contemporary self-portraits that address issues of identity. Photographs of dresses, made from familiar objects such as coffee filters, wrapping paper, and road maps, suggest a persona, and become a stand in for my own self. The personas represented in these forms illustrate who I am, who I am not, and who I wish to be.  With a background as a fine art painter and installation artist, the Reconstructing Self project merges my love for fabrication and materials with my visions and ideas in conceptual photography. Presented as a typology, the dresses encourage the viewer to look closely to analyze the differences and similarities, and perhaps to fit themselves in to one or more of these dresses or “selves.” The empty forms reference alienation or loneliness, while the patterns and designs simultaneously strive for individuality and uniqueness. Though I think of these works as self-portraits, the lack of human form makes the dresses more universal.  And, with references to paper doll dresses and childhood play-time, one can imagine these personas could be put on and removed at will as the mood and personality change.