Between the autumn of 2011 and the winter of 2013, I underwent numerous physical trauma that resulted in long-term recovery and healing. However, none was so emotionally troubling nor physically evident as the extreme acne vulgaris that scarred and pitted my face. The face is sacred, primary to human experience; when I lost control over my skin, I lost ownership over my experience, my being, my self. I no longer wanted to be seen in public, I no longer felt worthy of love or compassion.

This work documents the loss and regaining of self I experienced, reflected here through the digital mirror of the iMac's photo booth application. These selfies, never intended for public consumption, can here stand as a documentation of physical and emotional trauma as well as a recognition of the selfie as a tool for interrogation of the self.

exhibition view of SELFIE. seen with TRAUMA, 2011-2015