Constructed Portraits: Make her more beautiful
Constructed Portraits: Make her more beautiful is created using an archive of photographic negatives of women, which I have fed into an AI model with the prompt to "make her more beautiful." I then collage, patch, and re-assemble the female-presenting figure in order to examine the optics of representation and interrogate societal beauty standards.
The contrast between the real and the invented in this work is intentionally unsettling. The depicted subjects appear aware of being photographed. In repose, they convey an understanding that the moment is significant and enduring. Yet, a sense of self-consciousness is also discernible. However, neither the person nor the moment is truly preserved in these images. Instead, they are constructed, collaged, and altered to such an extent that the figure loses connection to the fragments from which she was made.
There is a notable sense of hysteria surrounding this body of work– arising from the appearance of the images, the methods used to create them, and their classification as lens-based and photographic. People are accustomed to perceiving photographs as truthful representations of reality, and this work disrupts that belief. Moreover, discomfort arises from the broader implications of using advanced technology in art, reflecting a pervasive fear that machines will replace human creativity and craftsmanship. This work taps into those anxieties, exposing our deep-rooted fears of obsolescence—not only as photographers but also as humans.
The contrast between the real and the invented in this work is intentionally unsettling. The depicted subjects appear aware of being photographed. In repose, they convey an understanding that the moment is significant and enduring. Yet, a sense of self-consciousness is also discernible. However, neither the person nor the moment is truly preserved in these images. Instead, they are constructed, collaged, and altered to such an extent that the figure loses connection to the fragments from which she was made.
There is a notable sense of hysteria surrounding this body of work– arising from the appearance of the images, the methods used to create them, and their classification as lens-based and photographic. People are accustomed to perceiving photographs as truthful representations of reality, and this work disrupts that belief. Moreover, discomfort arises from the broader implications of using advanced technology in art, reflecting a pervasive fear that machines will replace human creativity and craftsmanship. This work taps into those anxieties, exposing our deep-rooted fears of obsolescence—not only as photographers but also as humans.