Ambivalence is a state of having simultaneous conflicting reactions, beliefs, or feelings towards something
I am Norman
Sometimes I am curious
Sometimes I am self-doubting
Sometimes I am thankful
I am Tiana
Sometimes I am composed
Sometimes I am patient
Sometimes I am anticipative
I am Chuka
Sometimes I am contemplative
Sometimes I am relieved
Sometimes I am tired
I am Liz
Sometimes I am cautious
Sometimes I am restless
Sometimes I am serene
I am Cinthia
Sometimes I am unappreciated
Sometimes I am joyful
Sometimes I am indifferent
I am Leah
Sometimes I am anxious
Sometimes I am grateful
Sometimes I am shy
I am Yana
Sometimes I am stressed
Sometimes I am excited
Sometimes I am grateful
I am Mikey
Sometimes I am confident
Sometimes I am determined
Sometimes I am anxious
I am Sunny
Sometimes I am happy
Sometimes I am anxious
Sometimes I am hungry
I am Ricardo
Sometimes I am grateful
Sometimes I am loved
Sometimes I am frustrated
Ambivalent IIIndividuals
I often go through periods of intense mental gymnastics. I could be anxious in the morning, content in the day, and underwhelmed at night. I can be in all these mental states while maintaining a perfect smile throughout the day. Sometimes, no matter how we feel, we often act as though we need to maintain a default appearance. An identifiable mask. One void of too much emotion, one void of how we feel in realtime.
There came a point this year where my feelings were being stretched too far and too quickly for my default face to contain. My mask began to crack, and what felt like multiple versions of myself began to surface. You see showing how we feel in real time means showing multiple version of ourselves, a contrary to the concept of an individual. It means showing that sometimes I am insecure, cocky or smitten. Deviating from the face people are used to seeing, is like an invitation into seeing the real me, the multiple mes, the me you understand and the me you do not. Having a default face creates an internal and external ambivalence as what we show and how we feel are often in conflict. A fallacy.
The masks we choose to wear can create the impression that individuals are limited to the emotions and feeling we choose to express. The "Ambivalent IIIndividuals" project is a piece of work that combines the power of photography and meditation to remind us that no individual is fixed and what you see is not always what you get. Our default face covers a wide range of emotions, but underneath that mask lies a person who is capable of continually floating through emotions. Yet they remain an individual. They are an ambivalent individual.
The masks we choose to wear can create the impression that individuals are limited to the emotions and feeling we choose to express. The "Ambivalent IIIndividuals" project is a piece of work that combines the power of photography and meditation to remind us that no individual is fixed and what you see is not always what you get. Our default face covers a wide range of emotions, but underneath that mask lies a person who is capable of continually floating through emotions. Yet they remain an individual. They are an ambivalent individual.