September 13, 2017 - 08:53
I went through a couple portraits and a lot of them interested me. They were different from what I was used to and a lot of them represented individuals who we don't often see represented so it was cool to look at them. However when I got to the portraits labeled "State of Grace" it took me aback. I'll be honest, I saw the gallery open in the next page and I felt my heart jump .They created the biggest shock reaction, and quickly I caught myself doing exactly what Riva talked about in her TedTalk. I stopped seeing anything in the portrait except for the burns, and they were engulfed as Riva said "in a fog of pity". I remembered her TedTalk so I took a moment and stopped looking at the burns. I chose to focus on things that are readings told us to focus on, such as the gaze, poise, or relationships with others in the same portrait. I noticed the quote 'A thing is beautiful when it is strong in it's own kind". And I think it wasn't until that moment it clicked that these were empowering portraits, yes they will shock you, but that wasn't their sole purpose. They show a state we wouldn't associate with power, grace, or beauty and force us to see beyond the painful circumstance to the person who overcomed it and can stand to be made a portrait of. Like Riva noted it's daunting to sit somewhere and allow one person to just stare at you, able-bodied or with a disability. To have some one interpret you and place it in an image that is forever is scary, and I can only imagine how difficult it must be for someone who is accustomed to getting strange looks or quick uncomfortable glances. Still the emotion that came off those portraits didn't feel ashamed.The one that especially made that clear to me was Katherine. In her gaze there was a lot of confidence. There was a "So what?" kind of feeling to it. Her head was held high and she was fully aware you were seeing her and her burns, and she didn't seem to care.