"Solving" - Riya Bhajan

     

    I created my artwork “Solving” based on the subject of distortion and the process of discovering one’s true self. The artwork is a portrait of myself, I cut the focal point of my face into pieces and rearranged each piece to represent the concept of being misplaced and the distortion of self-view. I wanted the pieces to be interchangeable, like a puzzle that can be solved, each piece has velcro that can be moved and rearranged in the correct manner. Hence the title “Solving” I am visually representing the process of discovering my own identity by at first being lost and scrambled to then being solved and complete.

    The difference between my first self-portrait compared to my final is the hidden message of discovering self-identity that I wanted to convey through this piece. My first self-portrait was production and photography based since I was inspired by Cindy Sherman’s Untitled Film Series. I was inclined by that concept to make photographs of my own with no deep hidden meaning. My last self-portrait inspired by the Basquait has more similarities to my final portrait, both of these artworks have the concept of valuing yourself and your mindset over others. Realizing your self-worth despite the expectation and validation of others. I believe I pushed myself to make more conceptualized and abstract artwork throughout this class. It is something that I'm not used to as an artist since most of my art is photo-realistic drawings and paintings. I am now more open to hidden messages and deeper concepts in my works. 

    On the topic of identity, it is something you discover piece by piece as you go through life. However, it's easy to get mixed up between who you are and who you think you are. We get lost in our own identity since our self-concept and aspirations can be overlooked and shaped by the expectations of others. I believe we are a member of a complex web of individuals, groups, beliefs, values, and ideals in society. A society in which we grew up with that might imprint us with beliefs about the sort of person we should be. Life has been dragged down by the expectations and validation of others. Parents, peers, and people we identify as important have preconceived notions about who you should be, what you should value, and what you should do in life. It confuses and distracts us from our aspirations and our own true beliefs. 

    Relating to the class readings, Identity can be shaped by media, especially social media. Social Media is the distortion of identity through the creation of "online personas." On the internet, we all project a particular image of who we are. We are showing others what we want them to see, not necessarily the reality of our life. Due to the concern of validating others, the pressure of constantly showing the world how successful, beautiful, or fun we are might be damaging our perception of our true selves.

    To conclude, It's a process to discover your self-identity and how you would like to be perceived. We have to recognize our own values and be satisfied with who we are, who we hope to become, and how we can impact this world.