Person in a Petri Dish series, 2021

by Tillie Roy

This series of self-portraits complicates the notion of representation and identity, presenting myself from a fantastical perspective. Working with 35mm film, I take a nontraditional, subversive approach to the darkroom process, which the photographer typically aims to tightly control. Instead, I open up my process to chance, seeking a collaboration between myself and the materials at play.

I introduce objects that I have a personal connection to, including bug wings, lip balm, cotton and my own saliva, to complicate and distort my image, forcing the viewer to look closely at the layers that compose the image. These materials modify my face and body in elaborate and surreal ways, asking the viewer see my person as multifaceted and complex.

Tillie

About the Artist

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