Page 74 - Vol. VI #1

“‘The inside dog barks
the loudest.”
A friend mentioned this phrase in a ca- sual conversation about two years ago, and since then, I have been ruminating on these words. The idea of the inside dog needles me because the meaning is both obvious and elusive. How can I be me and at the same time be standing outside of myself looking inward to see me? How can I not understand more of myself since I am the person I know most intimately? It seems the inside dog can never be fully known, even though this beast is me.
The pictures here are self-portraits, but don’t literally depict my body or face, just as the dog/self is hidden. These im- ages aren’t a diary either, rather they in- corporate objects that suggest the act of creating—sewing, writing, cooking, for- aging, and so forth. I carefully selected objects that contain a personal meaning, but are also ordinary and universal. These different materials work as a metaphor for making or changing or transforming. The raw material a person is born with is shaped by genetics and environment, but we also create ourselves to some ex- tent. The struggle inherent in trying to become something or someone speci c gives rise to the duality of the self.”
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Trophy
archival print 20'' x 16''
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