Self Portrait

The neck has always been a symbol of feminity and sensuality in my mind. I like the way this picture shows the ringlet underculrs of my hair, giving it an air of innocence. The two additional copies ( one in red and one in blue) I used to depict the underlying currents in the portrait. The blue is the calm and logical part of me whereas the red depicts my emotional side. I did the original in sepia because I found that it added a timelessness to the photo, however I did not feel that it accurately represented all of who I am, which is why I did the color versions. For this portrait I took many photos and various parts, my hands, calves, ears, etc. In this exploration I found that my neck seemed most representative of my gender and made me the most aware of my feminity. I did not choose the neck because it seemed vulnerable, but rather it seemed powerful. Additionally I chose this particular picture because my shoulder is also slightly visible. I think this hint of mucularity helps show my athleticism. As a female athlete and engineer I am very aware of my gender and the struggles that women before me have gone through so that I may have the many proviledges that I do. However I don't feel that by pursuing a prodiminately male major or by being athletic that I give up any of my femininity. I think that there is beauty in strength and I feel that this portrait is able to capture that combination excellently.