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In Plato's theory of mimesis, art represents an imperfect imitation of the ideal. Along these lines, I have synthesized a Platonic self. As art is twice removed from life, so persona is twice removed from soul. Using the language of appearance, reality, and ideal, the work that I create hints at an arbitrary relation of identity to persona. My work brazenly accosts the ability of people to substitute appearance for reality. Through photography, a medium which is generally known for straightforward, clear images, I take away the easily defined image in an effort to force audiences to search for meaning in themselves. Through this action, my work clarifies the three different levels of humanity and puts them into perspective. In the nature of the individual, the soul is the ideal. This is an entity which remains entirely unique. It exists only through the eyes of the individual. Experience is the life of the soul. The truth of art hidden within the viewer is the soul. Once removed from soul is the self. Self is that image which exists as perception in the mind of an individual. It is how we perceive ourselves and the world around us. Self represents thought and reality. This is what we believe the meaning of art to be. Finally, persona is twice removed from the soul. The self works hard to imitate ideal, but remains only that: an imitation. The individual creates a persona which attempts to represent the self. Persona is the appearance of the individual. It exists as the image itself, appearance with arbitrary meaning. Because time is constantly in motion, appearance always changes. Appearance cannot allude to reality because it never remains constant. However, in exploring the space and time around a particular moment, I try to critique the notion of appearance and compel the audience to look beyond appearance to reach for the soul. Through abstraction in images, I attempt to force audiences to look deeper for meaning. I use the human figure to relate humanity to the notion of arbitrary meaning in abstract appearance. Persona is an abstraction of the soul, masking the truth within. -Brendan Rafferty |
