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| Self-Portrait - Katie West, http://katiewestphotography.weebly.com |
Another of Katie West’s self-portraits is shown above,
this time of her nude in a hotel room, looking out a floor-to-ceiling window
out onto the city below. This photo shows a completely different side of Katie’s
persona, further exemplifying the idea that self-portraits truly are framed by
their subject. Her stance is one that radiates confidence and comfort with her
body, even in such an exposed state. The photo is one that draws back to the
1970’s during a period when women were just beginning to explore their bodies
through art, in order to gain control over their own bodies and experiences
(Pultz 128). Similar to female figures of the time, West uses her body to
perform art in an attempt to become more in touch with her “creative ego” and
to boost her self-esteem (Nuñez, 2009). In this case, West is pushing the
boundaries of what society has defined as acceptable as perception of the self.
In an era where sexual and emotional identity are considered separate, West aims
to portray the two together (West, 2008). She presents her body in photograph
nude as a testament to the union between both herself as “sexual creature” and
as an outgoing, confident woman.
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In the next images from her book, low self-esteem, Katie is pictured in a
much darker setting, showing a more subtle, yet also more intimate view of her
sexuality. The black and white photographs emphasize the areas of light and
dark in the photographs, illuminating only parts of Katie’s body or none at
all. The ambiguities reveal that Katie’s sexual identity and emotional identity
are intertwined and complex: she is the one who chooses what she wishes others
to see and what she wants to be hidden. In this way, Katie’s self-portraits
allow her to not only boost her own self-esteem, but to also help define her
identity as a woman.
Beyond
that though, Katie is able to also able to relate to so many woman on an equal
plane. The confidence that she exhibits is to a level that many other women
would aspire to imitate. She revolutionizes the definitions that society has
ascribed to sexual and emotional identity, opening the door for other women to
reach the same revelation that she has. Through her own journey of
self-discovery with self-portraits, Katie has put into practice the unity of
human condition that Nuñez claimed was part of the social role of a
self-portraitist; she has transformed the connection she made with her inner
self into a path which other women and men alike can follow.
Bibliography
Nuñez, Cristina. "The self portrait,
a powerful tool for self-therapy." European
Journal of Psychotherapy &
Counselling. 11.1 (2009): 51-61. Print.
Barthes, Roland. Camera Lucida. New
York: Hill and Wang, 1981. Print.
Pultz, John. The Body and the Lens: Photography 1839 to the Present. Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Print.
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