Date of Defense

4-21-2023

Date of Graduation

4-2023

Department

Art

First Advisor

William Davis

Second Advisor

Patricia Villalobos Echeverría

Abstract

Others make us who we are. They shape the experiences that teach us how to love, laugh, and embody compassion. They inspire us to improve ourselves and our communities. I look up to most people in my life - younger and older - for ways to improve my own. This project explores those relationships that impact me daily. Closeups make the work more intimate and relatable. I travel to my loved ones, to mindfully photograph how we authentically interact and how our relationship slowly unfolds in their natural environment. I meet my subjects where they are so viewers can learn who they are. This project is also a metaphorical self-portrait. The camera bridges my identity to my subjects. I stand behind it so others can stand in front of it. This inevitably echoes the straight line every relationship can convey. I feel myself learning new things about people I thought I knew– including myself.

As you journey around the gallery, you’ll find my biggest supporters, my biggest influences, my biggest inspirations. And through mine, you will find me.

love, me and mine

love me and mine is an exploration of the idea that others make us who we are. We are those who we surround ourselves with. In this project, I went on a journey to explore my relationship with 9 different individuals in my life; my parents, both of my sisters, my grandmother, two of my best friends, my cousin, and my partner. There were very specific reasons as to why I chose these people. I wanted a diverse mix of the relationships that I have in my life. The relationship that I have with my grandmother is very different than the one I have with my partner, and the relationship that I have with one sister is very different than the one I share with my other sister. This exploration also allowed me to study each relationship for myself and grow as a person and within the relationship. I came out of this project with a deeper, stronger understanding of each person and relationship and I hope to continue that work over the coming years.

Access Setting

Honors Thesis-Restricted

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