CLARA JEANNE REED

"Soma," from the greek word for body, and "Psyche," the greek word for mind is a collection of photographic self-portraits from 2020-2024. As someone who has often had a dissociative relationship with the body, it is through self-portraiture that I attempt to soothe this disconnect between body and mind. The first half of the book, "Soma" explores an external idea of representation. Paired with various poems, this section poses questions about collective memory, identity, and rebirth. What fallacies has the earth left on our skin? It is an exploration of anonymity and relativity, how do our bodies relate to the environments that house them? How do we perform for others, and how do those performances limit our potential? The second half of the book, "Psyche" is an internal reflection on representation. It is an inquiry of the mind and its detachment from the body. It is experimental, as I incorporate mixed media and a direct manipulation of the image as an exercise in autonomy and an inquiry into dysmorphia. This book contains a diverse array of self-portraits, from surreal natural landscapes to intimate polaroids. By intentionally fragmenting my own image I attempt to analogize the acrimonious pieces of my body as an act of resurrection and recovery. Self-portraiture has ultimately become a desperate quest for subjectivity. To both see and be seen.

ISBN: 978-87-7620-175-3

Book language: English

Publishing house: Snap Collective

Website: www.snap-collective.com

Editorial Assistant: Valentina Furtuna

Designer: Irina Furtuna

Published on: 4/16/2024

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