Out of the Closet

ARTIST STATEMENT: 

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It should be clear that my intent is to photograph closets and the people who use them. The closet and the person should not be prepared for the shoot for it to work in the way I intend. Ultimately, this photo series should offer insight into nearly every facet of identity.

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Clothes have always fascinated me. Regardless of whether I see a fashion flop or a shining beacon of style, what we put on for the start of our days is an incredibly personal choice (and style is subjective). Due to established social norms in fashion, people are expected to look a certain way. Some comply to the standards and some actively defy them, while others dress without paying them any mind at all. Beyond this, wealth and status are often expressed implicitly with clothing and accessory choices (despite it not being a consistent metric at all).

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Photographing the closets and the content within will only provide half of the piece. When presented first, the images of the closets will likely invoke an image of who would be wearing them. I want viewers to jump to conclusions. These can be based on the colors, quality of materials, quantity, and brands of clothes stored. These preconceptions may also be based on how orderly the space is and any additional things that have been stored here (sporting equipment, cleaning supplies, etc.). However, I want these notions to be challenged or validated by the following image of the person. The pattern that emerges should show how clothing can be an expression of identity and how those identities can be fluid and unpredictable at times. Personal notions, like how comfortable a person is in expressing themselves due to external pressures could be explored in the content of the closet and the variance of what they wear. However, while some of the more personal thoughts of my human subjects may elude my photos, the question of “Why might people wear what they do?” should be consistent enough to get the viewer to consider these aspects.

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This is a work in progress. First exposures incoming.