Phoenix Rising

Awards: Juror’s Choice, Center for Contemporary Arts; Honorable Mention, Julia Margaret Cameron Awards

Phoenix Rising metaphorically illustrates the many transformations a woman may go through in her lifetime as she adapts to roles both expected of and desired by her. At a young age, I intuitively learned to re-invent myself. Expectations of others and my own beliefs shaped the person I am today. As I travel through different phases of my life, I morph into what is needed. I can be a provider, artist, lover, caretaker — almost subconsciously.

For the project Phoenix Rising, I create an image and then intervene with the physicality of the print. I re-photograph the new incarnation. This new re-seeing magnifies the underlying principle found in all my creative endeavors: Same, but different. The images are made all over the world. The initial image, representing the past carried forward, travels elsewhere to represent our journey in life. The print is modified as a testament to women’s adaptability. The re-photographed image is not a replicate but a new work with a different narrative. It may represent a memory, a current state of being, or a wish for the future. The altered second image, representing the expanded self, is left where photographed. Maybe it is found and kept or perhaps discarded. This is a metaphorical bridge illustrating real-life experiences. The undetermined endpoint of the images relates to the many unknown versions I may become of myself. The destination is irrelevant; rather the occurring transformation is the primary focus. This multi-faceted project showcases the re-shaping of women!s personalities as a journey.

Regardless of my path or current role, the bedrock of my personality remains constant: I am the same but altered version of myself. I carry my past into the present and continually expand who I am. The images are phoenixes, like all women, who epitomize the mother of re-invention. We rise, burn to ash, reinvent, rise again, and repeat.