Creases from a False Confession

“These images are the expressions of a man full of shame. It is your right to judge them as you wish. It is my right to view them with regret.”

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Creases from a False Confession is a series of photographs that were created to address the fiction of self-opinion and how its harmful biases translate into our own outward expressions. The images simultaneously act to deny the notion of true self-expression through art, while also exploring the accusatory narratives we create about ourselves. The work is presented to encourage audiences to indulge in the artist’s expressions, while also being reminded of the falsity of the experience. Subjects depicted in the photographs and the materiality of the photographs themselves are presented clearly as constructs, allowing the audience to see the untruthful nature of the narrative being told. These constructs remind the audience of the barrier between artist and viewer, and the trust that is required to gain insight from the art viewing experience. Creases from a False Confession actively breaks that trust, shifting the focus away from what the images are formally depicting to what the motives of the artist’s expressions truly are. The false scenarios presented in the photographs allows the audience to question the reasoning behind the artist’s expressions of self-accusation and self-punishment.