You’re being chased, drowning, or your teeth are falling out of your mouth- until you wake up in a panic. We’ve all been there. Nightmares can arise for a number of reasons - stress, irregular sleep, medications - but one of the most common causes may arise from mental health disorders. Studies show that reoccurring nightmares have been linked to sleep disorders, post traumatic stress, anxiety, and depression. I started exploring the idea of mental health through my artwork while coping with my own diagnosis of panic disorder and sleep paralysis. I am constantly exploring my own experiences, and reflecting those emotions through self-portraiture - using my art as my own personal therapy to help me process my thoughts. Similar to the structure of a nightmare, I aimed to create images that provoke fear, anxiety, & chaos. Drawing inspiration from surreal artists Arthur Tress and Joel Peter Witkin, I made my photographs into works of fiction, each designed to tell a tragic story. These images were also influenced by the original Brother Grimm's stories, making each photo similar to a beautiful, yet cruel, fairytale. The overall effect of this series is similar to being unable to awaken from a nightmare - dividing the line between pleasure and pain, nightmares and dreams.
[series created 2018-2019]
