Jorge Meza

Mannequin Series. Visit my site to view www.EnvisionofReality.com My Hollow Plastic Self At first, the thought of taking photographs of lifeless, helpless mannequins struck me as an interesting challenge to my photographic practice. Surrendering the power to control the direction, angle, emotion, vision, and composition, allowed me to find treasures within subject matter that have no free will. Although mannequins are just inanimate objects that one uses for display, they hold more within their hollow plastic forms than meets the human eye. If you stop and analyze these perfect dolls you’ll soon realize how interesting and flattering they really are. A mannequin possesses the confidence and power to wear and exhibit any style of fashion, giving us humans the approval to wear and rock a trend. Whether a person has a petite, thick, round, or plus size body, we humans look up to these role models of all different shapes and allow ourselves to be and feel confident just like they are. Their unchanging facial expression, and body language forced my eye to work with only what was there. The mannequins in the store front windows and store displays could not be manipulated or cajoled as would human models. The social interaction that was missing between my subject and I forced me to solely build a relationship on admiration towards these figures. Practicing photography with a live human subject can be wrought with many challenges. We have to worry about skin care, body type, culture, restrictions, style, and form. A mannequin possesses a flawless depiction of what we consider to be a perfect human form. It is a powerless puppet that portrays an idealized form of beauty. In this project I have found my muse within inanimate life forms. The relationship I have with the mannequins I photographed was one that benefited both parties. It benefited the mannequins in which they are admired or envied for their perfections. The attention and praise that is given is captured through a photograph that records their timeless life. In turn, it strengthened my ability to frame around the unmanipulable and animate the unanimated.