Self Portrait Project. Me and I: Photo Series. Yoselis De Jesus Minyety (2024)

Me and I: Photo Series

I was inspired by the three artists we studied over the past few weeks: Carrie Mae Weems, Cindy Sherman, and Ana Mendieta. For this photo series, titled Me and I, I got particular inspiration from Weems'Kitchen Table Series. The square photo dimensions, color grading, and intimate setting influenced the aesthetic and atmosphere I aimed to capture.

"Weems’s black-and-white photographs are like mirrors, each reflecting a collective experience: how selfhood shifts through passage of time; the sudden distance between people, both passable and impassable; the roles that women accumulate and oscillate between; how life emanates from the small space we occupy in the world." -Revisiting Carrie Mae Weems’s Landmark “Kitchen Table Series” By Jacqui Palumbo

I chose my dorm as the location because it’s where I spend most of my time and where my relationship with my hair truly began, evolved, and moved away from traditional Dominican customs. It’s also a meaningful space, as living in the dorm marked the first time I lived independently, allowing me to develop my sense of self on a deeper level. Ana Mendieta's exploration of cultural memory, trauma, and personal identity, especially in connection to her heritage, inspired this series. Similarly, Cindy Sherman's themes of identity, the female body, and societal roles deeply influenced my work.

"To photograph is to appropriate the thing photographed. It means putting oneself into a certain relation to the world that feels like knowledge -- and, therefore, like power". Susan Sontag excerpt from On Photography

“Now we all take it for granted that a photograph can be Photoshopped. We live in the era of YouTube fame and reality-TV shows and makeovers, where you can be anything you want to be any minute of the day, and artists are responding to that. Cindy was one of the first to explore the idea of the malleability or fluidity of identity.” The Cindy Sherman Effect by Phoebe Hoban for ArtNews.

In this photo series, I've made my hair the central focus, which is why I’m not wearing any jewelry or a t-shirt, but I do wear hats. My hair is a significant part of my identity, and it can sometimes be a challenge. That’s why I often wear hats when my hair is curly representing my "Interior World." This series portrays the contrast between my interior and exterior worlds. The only time I don’t wear hats is when my hair is slicked back, symbolizing my more polished, "Exterior World." My eyes also play a key role in this series. In some images, I stare directly into the camera to create a confrontational tone, while in others, I shift my gaze to my surroundings, exploring different perspectives.

Insignia. Me and I, YDM (2024)

Show. Me and I, YDM (2024)

Hide. Me and I, YDM (2024)

Frustration. Me and I, YDM (2024)

Identity. Me and I, YDM (2024)

Two Worlds. Me and I, YDM (2024)