I have already researched Michelle Sank, but since changing my style of photographing there is another one of her projects that is useful to look at.
‘My.Self’ is one of her projects where she documents the diversity of young people living in an area. Especially what it means to be a young person in todays society. She says ‘the subjects were photographed in their bedrooms so that the objects and decoration within became metaphors for their individuality and their cultural contexts’. Their possessions are able to describe a lot about who they are. Also their rooms are an intimate space and probably where they probably feel most comfortable.
The images are really interesting. I feel like the subjects have some choice in how they dress and pose, as in one image the boy is dressed in what looks like motorbike gear and in another a guy is dressed in a sparkly jacket and smart trousers. This alone shows a lot about them. They are also posed very differently, one is sat crossed legged on a seat , hair covering his face. I feel like Sank has let him pose like this because if she was directing him she might of asked him to look at the camera. In most of the photos the subjects are sat on their beds. It is a very personal space. Some appear rather uncomfortable, whereas others appear more confident, almost proud of their rooms.
This series of work supports my idea that someones space and belongings can show so much more about them then just a portrait can. You can begin to assume so much more.
Lucy Davis 