Self portrait photography and digital manipulation, 2024.
Through self portraiture, practical effects, and digital compositing, "Burdened" explores the artist-artwork dynamic with a subtle surreal approach.
Throughout time, the artistic process has been glamorized to the "outside" world of the public and non-artists alike, however for many artists it can be an arduous process, challenging the artist to consistently confront themselves, their identity, doubts, and weaknesses all for the sake of creation.
For many, to synthesize concepts from the mind to reality requires multiple stages of processing, each with their own challenges - from doubt, to belief, to planning, to execution. Practical mediums that require elements to align in the real world to some degree like photography (and staged photography in particular) can require immense amounts of planning and production, and for artists to go against many aspects of their own nature. The end result many times is the sacrifice of their current self at the altar of their idealized self - to commit to the small consistent deaths of the versions of yourself that stand in the way of what could be for the sake of your art and greatness.
Overall, the process of creation is rarely linear and requires consistent effort from the artist, and it can be puzzling to cherish something that simultaneously at times feels like both a burden, and a gift.
