All These Little Conversations With Myself
There are many times where we talk to ourselves. Some hide it better than others, but we always debate with ourselves, ask ourselves questions, and would seem like crazy people if we didn’t have the ability to keep it to ourselves. I think you’re crazy. But I don’t.
These diptych self-portraits are captured with 35mm film and printed on one sheet of photographic paper in the darkroom. Each shot is carefully crafted and taken in succession; white-shirt me is taken, the camera is moved or panned to the right (or in some case, tilted upward), and black-shirt me is taken on the very next frame. In the darkroom, the film strip is placed so that both frames can be printed at the same time on one piece of paper – leaving a thin black bar from film to casually separate the two images.
The result is a seemingly multiple personality photograph that brings the internal interaction to a tangible and physical presence. But while the characters involved seem upset or frustrated, there remains a subtle tone of humor to remind humanity that life cannot be taken too seriously – and that in fact, this internal struggle we face every day is only in our heads.
For prints, please contact info@andrewortwein.com.
Click on any image to enlarge.
