Aubree Karner

A portrait is the clearest impression one can give of his or her identity. We can alter the way we look by changing our clothes, changing our hairstyle, or even changing our features with plastic surgery. No matter how we present ourselves, our presentation is a clear, visual indication of how we see ourselves or how we want others to see us. Though we control how we present ourselves to others, we cannot control the experience that others bring with them and, therefore, how they interpret what we are presenting. I am interested in exploring distortions of identity, from how we change our own appearance for others, to distortions in how others perceive us. Overall, my work reflects aspects of myself. I make work about exploring identity because I am a twenty-something who is still searching for my own identity as a human being and as an artist. As I get closer to understanding my own identity, my work matures. As my work matures, I grow closer to understanding my own identity.