Audrey Gamponia

she/her

Working primarily in the genre of self-portraiture, I offer an introspective take on my own experiences with bodily dysmorphia and the anxieties brought on by social media. My imagery references the historical mode of European paintings of the passive female body and the “selfie”. I take photographs of myself wearing my personal clothing, surrounded by my own belongings in my day-to-day environment; In poses that are viewed as “intimate” or “private”. I use photo editing apps to contort my body, choosing different areas to either minimize or emphasize for some images. 

In my practice I like to paint and draw figures that render them familiar yet ambiguous, private, and yet public. Taking photographs that touch upon themes of voyeurism and exhibitionism, looking and being looked at. I try to find comfort in what is generally discomforting by reclaiming the power of presentation of one’s own being.  By putting myself through the lenses of a camera, I question my own subjectivity of an idealized body as well as my own perception of beauty; By participating in the act of “photoshopping” my own body to suit personal tastes, I question my own biases towards contributing to an idealized female body.

instagram @gamponiaaudrey