Self Portraits as Action Figures (click for statement)
Many years ago I began collecting hot chick action figures. The rules of the collection are strict. Only action figures are acceptable, no figurines or statuettes; I have to know where the characters come from; and they have to be strong, self actuating personalities. Sometime around 2004, I began photographing the collection with the intention of creating images which explored my own feeling and expressions using these toys as avatars. It was a revelatory experience which formed the backbone of my MFA Thesis Exhibition, Play With Me. I would like to revisit this body of work someday. The technology of action figure design has evolved so much over the years that the newest and best figures offer the opportunity for more complex gestures and emotions. The photographs are shot with a Hasselblad 500c on Tri-X film, scanned on a Hasselblad Flextight X5 Film Scanner and printed twenty-two inches square on an Epson Stylus Pro 7900 archival inkjet printer.