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Jen

SPar

Identity

Final Artwork

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Artist Statement

The photo is meant to be a representation of the word Identity within Gender Dysphoria. Gender Dysphoria most commonly inflicts transgender people and is when a person's perception of what they look like is distorted in relation to how the features of their body match the gender they identify with. This can cause many mental issues, one of which can be depression. I really want to convey the more traumatic effect of Gender Dysphoria and give it a physical representation.

This is a depiction of a transgender person's struggle against Gender Dysphoria in a physical state instead of mental. This is a person who identifies as Male, but struggles with the forced expectations and biological features that are more female. He has his hand caught through a shoe and is being pulled toward to the camera, this is meant to be the main part of the struggle. He is also wearing lipstick and eyeliner that has been smeared and the eyeliner almost looks like tears. This is meant to be yet another callback to his struggle. He is also smiling which is a translation of that anti-feminist line "you're prettier when you smile" or "you should smile more". This is also meant to look forced and relatively fake to show how the struggle is in actuality internal and usually internalized. The picture itself is hazy to show the disconnect between the person and reality. 

Unedited Photo

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Contact Sheet

Sketchbook

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Jennifer Spar Photography

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