honorable mention
Brooke Shaden united states
title
Begin Again
Through this series you will explore four major topics: the hidden self, the reflected self, the identified self, and the contained/released self.
The Hidden Self: a meditation on praise, devotion, and the places we put our identity when we don't look inward. Do the institutions and people who easily give us identities hold us back from finding uniqueness within ourselves?
The Reflected Self: the world shows us who we are before we are able to discern that for ourselves. These provide a look at the mirrors that cast an identity onto us and the shattering of those perceptions as we don't match who we think we should be.
The Identified Self: moving past reflections to try on the masks we find. We explore many identities, often assuming the surface role of who we want to be without digging deep enough to pull up the reality of our most authentic being.
The Concealed/Revealed Self: the boxes we fit into and how to break out of them. These final images are a look at the ways we try to fit ourselves into pigeonholes of identity. We suffer there, stagnating and pretending, or we break free.
As Walt Whitman said, "Do I contradict myself? Very well then, I contradict myself. I am large; I contain multitudes."
After studying films for years in college, she realized her love of storytelling was universal. She started photography then in 2008, excited to create in solitude and take on character roles herself. Brooke works from a place of theme, often gravitating toward death and rebirth or beauty and decay.
Ultimately, her process is more discovery than creation. She follows her curiosity into the unknown to see whom her characters might become. Brooke believes the greatest gift an artist has is the ability to channel fears, hopes and experience into a representation of one's potential.
While her images come from a personal place of exploration, the goal in creating is not only to satisfy herself; her greatest wish is to show others a part of themselves. Art is a mirror for the creator and the observer .
Brooke's passion is storytelling, and her life is engulfed in it. From creating self-portraits and writing to international adventures and motivational speeches, she wants to live a thousand lives in one. She keeps her curiosity burning to live a truly interesting story.
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entry description
Begin Again started as an exploration of the self. What would the world look like if only I existed? Would I create more life in my own vision? From those questions the series morphed into an exploration of the hidden self. How do we identify our true selves among a pack? How do we stand out when we aren't sure who we are yet? And most importantly, where do the differences between us truly lie?Through this series you will explore four major topics: the hidden self, the reflected self, the identified self, and the contained/released self.
The Hidden Self: a meditation on praise, devotion, and the places we put our identity when we don't look inward. Do the institutions and people who easily give us identities hold us back from finding uniqueness within ourselves?
The Reflected Self: the world shows us who we are before we are able to discern that for ourselves. These provide a look at the mirrors that cast an identity onto us and the shattering of those perceptions as we don't match who we think we should be.
The Identified Self: moving past reflections to try on the masks we find. We explore many identities, often assuming the surface role of who we want to be without digging deep enough to pull up the reality of our most authentic being.
The Concealed/Revealed Self: the boxes we fit into and how to break out of them. These final images are a look at the ways we try to fit ourselves into pigeonholes of identity. We suffer there, stagnating and pretending, or we break free.
As Walt Whitman said, "Do I contradict myself? Very well then, I contradict myself. I am large; I contain multitudes."
about the photographer
Brooke explores the darkness and light in people, and her work looks at that juxtaposition. As a self-portrait artist, she photographs herself and becomes the characters of dreams inspired by a childhood of intense imagination and fear. Being the creator and the actor, Brooke controls her darkness and confronts those fears.After studying films for years in college, she realized her love of storytelling was universal. She started photography then in 2008, excited to create in solitude and take on character roles herself. Brooke works from a place of theme, often gravitating toward death and rebirth or beauty and decay.
Ultimately, her process is more discovery than creation. She follows her curiosity into the unknown to see whom her characters might become. Brooke believes the greatest gift an artist has is the ability to channel fears, hopes and experience into a representation of one's potential.
While her images come from a personal place of exploration, the goal in creating is not only to satisfy herself; her greatest wish is to show others a part of themselves. Art is a mirror for the creator and the observer .
Brooke's passion is storytelling, and her life is engulfed in it. From creating self-portraits and writing to international adventures and motivational speeches, she wants to live a thousand lives in one. She keeps her curiosity burning to live a truly interesting story.
back to gallery
