Sarah Wilcox

Biography
I am a 22 year old student at the University of Toledo. In the fall, I will start my 5th year, and graduate in May 2000 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. My major is photography, with a minor in ceramics. Anything else about me that would go in a bio can be seen in my work, so please, take a look and enjoy.

Statement
"Freed from the boundaries of time and space, I co-ordinate any and all points of the universe...thus I explain in a new way the world unknown to you." -Dziga Vertov

In Behind the Mirror, I explore the realm of self-portraits. What started out as a convenience became a way to explore myself and let the world see me. Self-portraiture is about fighting my feelings of invisibility and accepting an image of myself as worthy. With these photographs I reflect many aspects of myself, hopefully creating a feeling of connection with you, so that the detail of who's looking in the mirror is blurred.

There are two brands of my self-portraits. Firsts there are the 11 x 14 black and white images that are simply an image of me. Mostly they are direct representations of me involving a somber or even depressive mood. I find that the most effective in conveying myself and evolving a reaction from the viewer.

The second style of self-portraits are from my series Masked. These are not just an image of myself, but try to show the idea of masks, personas and labels. A mask can be about anything from fun, to coming of age, to extravagance to divinity. In the photographs, the masks I wear are often, literally, factory produced definitions of who I should be. With society's masks on I feel invisible and voiceless. I have tried to show the world its imposition on me by printing large (16x20 and 22x24) and in color when I gathered all the courage I could muster, I boldly tip-toed into this series on the blind faith that I could unmask myself. I am discovering that it is through my own masks that I become visible.