Remnants of Consumption: Self-Portrait Study

Self Portrait Study – Visual Narratives of Nature and Self

This self portrait series examines the shift from consumer-driven identity to a more conscious relationship with the environment and self. Growing up in a Western consumer culture, I was conditioned via media to see consumption as a right. This project reflects my effort to unlearn that mindset.

Fire plays a key role in this series. Having experienced the Carr Fire, I’ve seen firsthand the devastation caused by increasingly intense wildfires. The thorns, taken from a rose in my food forest, symbolize both nature’s resilience and my commitment to giving back. Incorporating elements grown in my permaculture space reflects my ethos—using what is available, regenerating rather than depleting as much as possible, and creating with intention.

Approach

• Color & Composition: Influenced by Josef Albers and Max Ernst, I used layered color and block-like structuring to create depth and interconnectedness.

• Foreground Dominance: Inspired by Jerry Uelsmann, I emphasized surreal depth and large foreground elements to force confrontation with consumption.

• Paranoiac-Critical Method: Following Dalí’s approach, I worked within constraints, creating spontaneously with only what was immediately available.

• Long Exposure & Light Experimentation: I incorporated long exposure with a combination of off-camera flash, ambient light, continuous lighting, and light painting.

• Discomfort in Color: Inspired by my friend and fellow artist Nicole, who challenges herself by working with colors she dislikes, I embraced the same approach—pushing beyond my comfort zone to explore new emotional and visual depths.

Currently working on imagery for my art book BIOPHILIAC: Resisting the Rabbit Hole, this image was created with non-extractive materials obtained through my garden or upcycled from my past consumption. Please consider subscribing to my newsletter and/or social media and I continue to experiment with photography.