ARTIST STATEMENT
I long to see the world as I once did. I long to feel the world as I once did.
In “A Preservation of Character” I use the act of removal to incite vulnerability. In the search for a memory of identity, I shed a cold exterior and ground myself with what remains. I remove my clothing, a physical layer of protection. I remove the hair from my head, a totem of gender. I attempt to let go of protective behavior, expression, and thought. What I feel shields me from danger in the outside world has become a part of who I present myself as.
Here I am neighbored only by textures, shapes, and light, leaving me to observe and interact with myself. In these moments I recognize that which I’ve internalized, and consider unguarded experience. Who am I without these defenses? I look at the changes in my character and remember this vulnerability as something that once came easily.
This is an exercise in honesty, and a longing for innocence. These are intimate moments of self-reflection, and are presented to the viewer out of a need to share unguarded experience.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Through self portraiture Megan Sinclair explores her relationship with body, mind, and environment, and how to build home in those spaces. Her work documents the time that she spends in both indoor and outdoor privacy and is a discussion of identity, consciousness, and connection to place; shot primarily on black and white 4×5 sheet film. Since graduating with her Bachelor’s of Photography in 2020 she has exhibited for galleries across the country as well as internationally, recently being awarded Best in Black and White at the 2022 Montgomery Photo Festival, Director’s Choice Award in the Praxis “Portrait” exhibit, semi-finalist for the Portrait Award at Head On Photo Festival 2022 in Sydney, Australia, and is published in issue #117 “Black and White” of F-Stop Magazine. She is based in Portland, Oregon and is an active member of The Portland Darkroom.
© Megan Sinclair