"A liberated, sexually adventurous urban woman!!!"

I was just asked this on formspring, and felt like I wanted to post my answer here too! I knew I was setting myself up for that kinda question with my recent work and having a site like formspring... but people like that just need to open up their minds.

What REALLY makes you different from every other narcissistic naked person on Deviantart, who can string a few song lyrics together to use as a title?

I'm not narcissistic for a start, and I don't use my body so people can go ZOMG BOOBS!!! It takes a lot for me to use my body in my art and it's really quite nerve wrecking putting the work up there, knowing people will be looking at it and judging! I've never been body confident but I find confidence through my camera because I feel so alive in the taking of the image, and putting myself out there in such a way that is *so* open. I use my body as a canvas, because I believe the body is beautiful and it's the best way I can find to express myself, using my own flesh. Maybe it comes from wanting to be a dancer when I was younger. A lot of the ideas I come up with come from a very raw part inside me, and the naked body is fitting with the naked ideas. It's a bit like the use of black and white photography when people decide to use it instead of colour; some things are better suited to the simplicity. I also don't string together song lyrics for a title, but mostly use my own words that I write at about 3am usually. Quite often the words come before the photography does.

Maybe re-evaluate why you think using your body in art is narcissistic? I've always been in love with the naked body so I don't view it like this at all... we are all naked underneath are clothes after all. :)

Also, you really could have asked me this in a direct message ;) I wouldn't have minded.



I think whoever asked this has a pretty close minded view. Why assume to be naked in your own art work is narcissistic? I don’t use myself because I love myself, it simply comes naturally to use my own body because my art is always very personal to me, and my body is expressing my feelings. A few years ago my work was nowhere near quite as naked as it is now, because I was too frightened to do it... so a lot of ideas went un-done. This year my final major project for my degree has been ALL about breaking my own personal boundaries in life and my art work, and one of those boundaries is using my body in my work. A lot of my ideas simply wouldn’t have the same vulnerability or power if they were clothed shots. I remember when I photographed the cling film photographs, I said to my friend that I was conflicted, because I was scared of lots of people seeing me in that way. He said if I didn’t feel comfortable then I shouldn’t do it... and that kind of hit me, and I thought, what, I’m not going to express myself because I’m too scared?

There is no more emotive word in the human language than love, and I believe there is nothing quite as vulnerable or powerful as a naked body.

I’m reminded of a quote from Peep Show oddly enough... Mark – “I thought she was a frightened little suburban mouse, but no, she's my nightmare: a liberated, sexually adventurous urban woman” hehe.