PORTFOLIO (3)
BIO
BIOGRAPHY
Kalliope Amorphous is a visual artist working with conceptual and experimental self portrait photography. Using her own image as a prop to create the protagonists of her stories, Kalliope is the model, stylist and photographer of all of her images. Through the self portrait, she explores the fluid nature of identity, myth and archetype.
Self-taught in photography, Kalliope creates her own alternative processes and methodologies using handmade and alternative lighting as well as experimenting with textiles, surfaces and in-camera distortion techniques.
She has received worldwide recognition for her work in creative self-portraiture. Her photographs have been published and exhibited throughout the United States and internationally.
STATEMENT
I do not approach self-portraiture from an autobiographical perspective; I use it as a tool to explore the boundaries of "self” and “other” by playing with ideas of identity, gender, archetype, emotion and the visual interpretations and possibilities that exist within them. I usually find my inspiration in solitude. Because of this, the act of creating images transformed into my becoming the subject that is integrated into, rather than separate from the photograph. I found that I could more deeply explore my conceptual ideas by embracing the roles of both photographer and subject.
Even though I rarely see these photographs as images of myself, I have learned over time that they do reflect aspects of my interior world and life experiences -aspects which only exist on a subconscious level. In the beginning of this journey, I thought that I was separate from my images, choosing to see them only as characters which told a story. It took me a long time before I stopped separating myself from my art and found that self portraiture has parallels to memoir, monologue and soliloquy which cannot be overlooked.
My images are sometimes abstractions of my own memories -people I have known, things I have observed, questioned, loved, lost, feared or hoped for. The characters, their actions and their interactions are sometimes culled from the narrative of my own life. Other times, they are the narrative of someone else’s life, either real or imaginary. Other sides of my work explore my love of mythology, fairy tales, paradox and the juxtaposition of light and dark, beauty and beast. I draw most of my inspiration from music and poetry and I am very focused on the fragility of life and the quick passing of time. When I am creating images, I am usually existing in a place where everything feels bittersweet. I am continually drawn to concepts involving the subconscious, alienation, time, memory, transcendence and surrealism.
I do not have an arsenal of professional equipment and I have very little technical knowledge of photography and lighting. I use the camera as an artistic tool, because the only knowledge I have of photography is what I have taught myself. Most of my photographs use experimental in-camera methods, mirror distortions, modified lenses and handmade attachments such as the stroboscope. While I appreciate Photoshop and use it for adjustments and certain projects, I would rather cover my lens with six layers of translucent fabric and a magnifying glass to create a unique in-camera effect. Maybe I do it the hard way, but I like the challenge and the often unexpected results.
Kalliope Amorphous is a visual artist working with conceptual and experimental self portrait photography. Using her own image as a prop to create the protagonists of her stories, Kalliope is the model, stylist and photographer of all of her images. Through the self portrait, she explores the fluid nature of identity, myth and archetype.
Self-taught in photography, Kalliope creates her own alternative processes and methodologies using handmade and alternative lighting as well as experimenting with textiles, surfaces and in-camera distortion techniques.
She has received worldwide recognition for her work in creative self-portraiture. Her photographs have been published and exhibited throughout the United States and internationally.
STATEMENT
I do not approach self-portraiture from an autobiographical perspective; I use it as a tool to explore the boundaries of "self” and “other” by playing with ideas of identity, gender, archetype, emotion and the visual interpretations and possibilities that exist within them. I usually find my inspiration in solitude. Because of this, the act of creating images transformed into my becoming the subject that is integrated into, rather than separate from the photograph. I found that I could more deeply explore my conceptual ideas by embracing the roles of both photographer and subject.
Even though I rarely see these photographs as images of myself, I have learned over time that they do reflect aspects of my interior world and life experiences -aspects which only exist on a subconscious level. In the beginning of this journey, I thought that I was separate from my images, choosing to see them only as characters which told a story. It took me a long time before I stopped separating myself from my art and found that self portraiture has parallels to memoir, monologue and soliloquy which cannot be overlooked.
My images are sometimes abstractions of my own memories -people I have known, things I have observed, questioned, loved, lost, feared or hoped for. The characters, their actions and their interactions are sometimes culled from the narrative of my own life. Other times, they are the narrative of someone else’s life, either real or imaginary. Other sides of my work explore my love of mythology, fairy tales, paradox and the juxtaposition of light and dark, beauty and beast. I draw most of my inspiration from music and poetry and I am very focused on the fragility of life and the quick passing of time. When I am creating images, I am usually existing in a place where everything feels bittersweet. I am continually drawn to concepts involving the subconscious, alienation, time, memory, transcendence and surrealism.
I do not have an arsenal of professional equipment and I have very little technical knowledge of photography and lighting. I use the camera as an artistic tool, because the only knowledge I have of photography is what I have taught myself. Most of my photographs use experimental in-camera methods, mirror distortions, modified lenses and handmade attachments such as the stroboscope. While I appreciate Photoshop and use it for adjustments and certain projects, I would rather cover my lens with six layers of translucent fabric and a magnifying glass to create a unique in-camera effect. Maybe I do it the hard way, but I like the challenge and the often unexpected results.
