The Visible Self-Concept

The desire to know and understand oneself dates back to Greek philosophers such as Socrates who states, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” This idea, to “know thyself,” provides the basis for my senior series, The Visible Self-Concept. In this digital photography project I aim to explore the different aspects of self-concept and reveal the variety of ways that people conceptualize their identity. I examine four categories: race and culture, religion, gender, and sexuality or love. In the most basic terms, self-concept is the idea that one can distinguish oneself from others and is aware of these differences. The idea of self evolves with age. Children often categorize themselves by concrete traits such as height or eye color. For adults it can develop to include personality traits, relationships to other people, as well as be based on memories and experiences. My inspiration for this series was derived from the exploration of conceptual artists and the desire to express an abstract idea through tangible images. To begin the process, I started with an interview. During my interview I focused on each category, specifically asking questions regarding the person’s self-concept in that category. The interviews were open ended and revolved around asking the subject to draw upon previous memories or experiences as well as upon associations. I then took the information provided in the interviews and began translating it into digital photographs. The last step in my process involved the arrangement of the photos to achieve a layout which expressed the mood of the interviewee as well as an overall color unity. The final series provides me with insight into the formation of identity in others as well as within myself