Trapped, degraded, and misunderstood. Every one of us has felt useless at some point in their existence. You felt constricted in your own skin as if you were in someone else's body who developed such thoughts and feelings that you would have never thought even once. At times, you take a look at yourself in the mirror to only notice that it's not you. The purpose of this photo is to exhibit relevance. I put on some makeup to accentuate my facial features, a white dress to represent purity and laid down to stare into the camera with no emotion.
Cindy Sherman showcases her work through images that display her creative imaginations into a reality. Prager states, "... I relate to her use of color, lighting, and the way her 'scenes' are mocked up in a way that is never too clean." This self-portrait depicts a haunting and out of the ordinary structure with the cool vivid scenery like the dark rooms in her house. The picture compares to a helpless woman who has reached a point of no return. Her vision slowly blurs out to which you see through her eyes.
Although this photo may seem dark and strange, there is an initiative power within. The models that Mickalene Thomas has captured are fierce and bold women that were not afraid to show their independence. The self-portraiture shows no fear and awareness of what's to come. "Thomas's jazzy photomontages of women's limbs and facial features can be construed as commentary on female bodies are brutally picked apart in contemporary visual culture" (Dunne 1). The value of female bodies is criticized and compared to unrealistic; photoshopped models. There are naturally beautiful women of color who have the potential to execute mind-blowing photographs even mysterious ones. Thomas mentions in a video, Meet The Artist: Mickalene Thomas on "Portrait of Mnonja, that performance plays in her practice. In this case, the contributors are the camera and me.
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