When I entered into marriage and domestic life I experienced an intersection between personal choices and societal expectations. Suddenly the traditional aspects of nesting I had previously deemed objectionable became desirable. I both loved and loathed the idea of myself as a sort of servant in my home.
Through the self-portrait series Paper House I investigate which of my actions are genuine desires and which actions are inherited from societal expectations common to previous generations of American women. These photographs reference my struggles, my reflections and my fears through visual metaphor. While I do not wish to take for granted my healthy relationship and stable home, I acknowledge the challenge of maintaining my personal identity amid the expectations that come with such gifts. I accept that even between the strongest of partners an unexpected earthquake can come along and knock the house down. But an earthquake can never undo the effort to sustain that which you love and endure.
The images in this series are hand-made ziatypes on salted gelatin paper.