Ralph Waldo Emerson said "Perception is not whimsical, but fatal" This work questions how observation and what we choose to observe reflects back on the viewer, how looking can be a violent act and how the act of seeing can be revealing in itself. This work attempts to confront the viewer and our use of technologies that enhance these voyeuristic tendencies that pervade modern society.
Taking a new look at the classic odalisque, I created a self portrait reversing the gaze back on the viewer, questioning their intentions and purpose asking them to look at themselves and their own viewing intentions. Just the act of looking can be a form of invasion, and our perceptions of other people turn into judgements which become weapons. How can we look without trying to take ownership?
By Projecting the image onto a frame, the idea of ownership becomes obscured. The image itself cannot be held, touched, violated or destroyed. It is transient and ephemeral. Only the frame has a physical presence, but it is still retains the representation of an object.