My second self-portrait in the Cutout Series is a standout. The positive image is one of my favorite current era favorites. The negative isn’t too shabby either.

The positive image gets razzle dazzle from the luxury good advertisements that plague magazines. Tiffany aqua and chains across my face are contrasted with diamonds bursting from the back of my head and a sparkly gold frame.

The chains have transferred from symbol of slavery to the current symbol of slavery to labels and the powerful desire to own luxury goods. It bursts from my head chakra like a migraine of diamond jewelry. I don’t wear diamonds because I am well aware of what it takes to mine them.

All of the original photographs are from me giving myself a facial mask. It helps create the high contrast look of the images. It also adds a laugh if you know the inside joke.

The initial concept was to see if I was losing myself in the images from magazines. To find myself in spite of the barrage of desire. A simple thought that helped me find my way out of the trap. The war between foreground and background questions whether I have truly fought my way out.

When looking at these now, I notice how much the original imagery comes through. Allowing you not to focus on the image of my face but on the advertisement. Back and forth.

The truncated text is another element I fought for a long time but here goes unchecked. Bullet points and text create chaos across my face. Helping me transcend perfection and accept that sometimes the random is exquisite.

Just noticed “Precision-Cut Edging.” So perfect considering the criticism from a former employer. Yeah, I got your perfection.

This sets the stage for the PR-RAW Series. The same technique is used albeit with different imagery. Here the tone is more personal with far less commentary. Still the foreshadowing is powerful.