The working title for this project for a long time was “Me book.” As corny as it sounds, it still fits. This book is my personal photographic statement, highlighting every trope, every bias, & every signature in & about my work.
I consider myself a writer first, photographer second. Much of my work relates back to language; words are my first bias. I often seek to combine my writing with imagery, usually strengthening & accompanying my writing with imagery, not the other way around. After words, many of my projects provide a strong sense of self – my self. Much of my work explores nostalgia thru deep, at times painfully critical, introspection. This frequently takes the form of unconventional self-portraits. The last trope, which builds from my second bias, is that of mental illness. While many criticize artists who constantly create work relating to that theme, repeatedly accusing us as “romanticizing” mental illness, it’s hard not to make work featuring disorders as the subject or subtext. I’ve been mentally ill most of my life; that’s the reality. There’s so many toxic aspects of myself that I struggle with, but these aspects are what make me me. The creative process is one of understanding, & in some cases, healing.
This project is literally me in a book. All of my faults, all of my deepest fears & nagging thoughts, are exposed page by page. & each page functions as a letter to a certain unattainable person in my life. I also struggle with idealizing those close to me – to an alarming degree. There are so many factors preventing me from admitting these truths face-to-face. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, this is the best I can do.
This series specifically focuses on six toxic emotions: obsession, ambivalence, anxiety, depression, disassociation, & instability. These pages, with my text & my feelings & my face, form the Emotional Language of my life. This is me. This is Mica.
