September 30, 2014 - 21:27
I chose Laura Swanson' s anti-self-portrait Shower. The media used it photography, which unlike a painting, is a moment in time that has not been interperated through an artists perspective fully. The shower it self is a soft pastel pink with teal accent tiles near the ceiling. These soft shades elude to the vulnerablitiy inate to a shower. Swanson stands hiding behind a curtain yet, she is not clothed or wrapped in a towe. The towel present contrasts greatly to the pastel pink walls and white sink due to it's dark navy color. It is placed just out of reach of Swanson. In order to reach the towel, she must come out from the behind the curtain which is the only object that seperates her naked body from the audience. The curtain itself is slightly transparent. Due to its blurry transparency the audience is able to view basic outlines of her body and her stance. This transparency also allows Swanson to view the audience and be aware of their presence. Swanson stands facing the audience through the curtain. You can not see the details of her face or body but you can where her face is and the color and shape of her hair. The curtain is positioned so that it only covers Swanson and leaves the rest of the bathroom space clearly visible. The detail in the objects surrounding her are so great that you can almost read her bottles of shampoos and conditioners. All of the objects surrounding her focus your eyes on a circle surrounding her. Your eyes move from the dark blue towel, to the bright green bottles, to the teal sponge, and then to the gray washcloth which is partially hidden behind the curtain with Swanson. Due to its positioning, you can not look at the wash cloth with out also looking at the curtain which includes Swanson.