Artist Statement

For millennia, art has been an outlet for many individuals. Whether it be creating or consuming, art has always been a way for people to express emotions that they otherwise were unable to convey. Art has also given people the chance to know that they aren’t alone in what they face; it is a friend that is always available and ready to help. Music, specifically, has been used frequently, especially in recent decades, to communicate difficult or confusing emotions. The mixture of lyrics and instrumentals have allowed people to call attention to important issues and talk about strong emotions such as pain, love, and loss. Music has been used to help people grieve what they no longer have and share their love with the world. 

I began taking piano lessons at the age of seven, which led me to become extremely passionate about music. Throughout my teen years, music was the way in which I expressed emotions that I didn’t even fully understand yet. My interest in music led to an interest in the connection between the audio and visual aspects of media. The most beautifully curated and perfectly timed/placed songs enhanced the stories within movies and television shows to a degree that set them far apart from others, keeping the attention of the viewers and evoking more emotion from them. I always found it very interesting the way different forms of art could be manipulated to create certain emotions within people. This emotional manipulation is what first piqued my interest in photography. I began making photographs because I wanted to create beautiful landscapes that could evoke the longing for adventure in others that similar photos had evoked within me. I began trying, failing, and trying again to create the same impactful images. I wondered what specific aspects of photography affect the emotions that are received by the viewer. Different colors can impact the mood of a photograph and framing a photo ever so slightly can change the entire effect the image has on people. 

Self-Titled Demo bridges photography to music, creating a visual representation for the music the photographs relate to. The visual aspects of the photographs induce the same emotions within the viewer that the viewer might feel if they listen to the song that the image is associated with. While all images in my project are created with the intention of allowing people to understand the emotions of certain songs without having ever heard them, art is subjective, and every person will interpret the photos and the music in their own way. This is the beauty and magic of art - it offers a universal language through which we can all connect and find solace, regardless of our individual circumstances. In a world where we are constantly seeking connection and understanding, the power of art to transform and uplift us is truly something to celebrate. Through this connection, we are reminded of our shared humanity, finding common ground with others and discovering profound meaning and purpose in our lives.