While my primary medium has always been photography, there have been instances in which I felt confined by the boundary of a single frame, especially when grappling with conceptual work. I am a fusion of a Photographer and an Artist using Photography, so depending on the particular project or investigation, my visual style and methods of execution may vary – be it straight photography, photomontage, cut-outs, installation and 3-Dimensional work, or film/video. However, given my background, these works that push the bounds always remain photo-based.
Velvet Jail is the umbrella title for a large body of work that has been evolving for many years. It encompasses my projects, Lepidoptera propriedae, Pleasance, On Pleasance, A Victorian Moment among others. For this work, I employ Victorian sensibilities and conventions as well as inspiration from Lewis Carroll to drive my investigation of contemporary concerns regarding identity. I am interested in the concept of the façade and its psychological implications in the development of “self” within the confines of social expectation and prescriptions for behavior. I am at once curious about the presentation, perception, and preservation of self and the duality or possible multiplicity of layers one embodies. Lewis Carroll once saw a sign that he thought read, “romancement.” Upon drawing closer, he realized it read “roman cement.” Velvet Jail draws on this notion that things are often not as they seem.