Art Chicas 2009 - Project Beginning

Three years ago I prepared a project proposal for jury review. A new program for La Reunion called Art Chicas Unidas was underway. Now three years later I am still preparing project proposals for the same program. Years one and two had me teaching my medium to the girls and allowing them to produce a work of their own art.

My amazing group of ladies from year 2, Art Chicas 2008

This year was different, the girls were to be our assistants and the artists the mentors. Also we were to be working in the La Reunion woods. A place that has become near and dear to my heart.

I pondered how to proceed and kept mentally coming back to a concept I wrote down in a journal many years ago. It had
everything I wanted to talk about and ofcourse the series needed to be photographed in the woods.

So over coffee I typed up my project proposal for year 3 of Art Chicas.

Program Proposal for 2009

Objective:
To produce a small series of work with 4 helpers. The girls will be involved in the whole process of the conceptual project. Below is the basic outline of the process:

- Discussion about concept, understanding the statement of the work.
- Site selection and scouting
- Hair/makeup
- Lighting
- Shooting
- Editing
- Post Production (Retouching and final effects)
- Printing for outdoor display
- Preparing Artist statement of work

The majority of the work will be completed on site. The girls will have worked on everything from concept to set styling. There will also be time to discuss various other photographers and concepts.


Project:
“The Price of Beauty”

When the work comes together completely as planned there will be a story created in three simple images.

Concept -
We have a woman who has great external beauty, the main character of this work. She lives in an unbalanced world that only pays tribute her outer self, leaving her empty and incomplete. In an attempt to end her life in the forest she fails, allowing her a chance to look within and see her inner beauty and herself as a whole. For the ultimate beauty lies inside and knowing who you truly are.

The main topic is the misperceived belief of beauty that women face in this world. The “really beautiful” people are often not seen for who they truly are and the “other people” are obsessed with the idea of unattainable beauty. Our main character is essentially a phoenix that rises from false perception of her own external beauty.

Goal:
To have shared my process for conceptual photographic work. To have approached a hard topic and used the work to create dialog with a positive message.