Claire Strohmeyer
I use my own life experiences and struggles as inspiration for my artwork. I have explored ideas of identity and self-perception through self-portraiture. I experience severe anxiety, like many people of my generation, and that has been the focus of some of my self-portraits. My constant goal of growth and exploration motivates my work, and I use it as a tool for self-reflection--capturing my emotions and thoughts in one moment, or working in hand with my internal dialogue.
Each photographic self-portrait looks very different, with each focusing on a different aspect of myself. For example, Avoidance showcases me using my phone as a distraction, and Physical Effects focuses on the outward expression of inner tension. Background Character highlights how it feels to be a wallflower, or to feel as though I’m part of the background.
The series Sentiments About Me reflects my relationship with different friends and family members. I asked each person to write down their favorite and least favorite memories of me, as well as a sentence to describe me, and then used that material as the inspiration for a series of self-portraits from the point of view of friends and family. The title of each image in this series describes these relationships
