Jen Davis produced a body of work portraying issues surrounding beauty, identity and body image, by creating these beautiful images, using natural light and strong compositions. Davis, in an article states that photography is “the medium that I use to tell my story through life, an outlet for revealing my struggles”. her work is mainly based off of her own experiences and portrays these by reconstructing them. some of her other work consists of made up fantisies that she has relating to love, relationships and desires. jen davis describes the idea of ‘eleven years’ was to ” invite the viewer into the past eleven years of my private life, exploring the vulnerabilities that I carry associated with a life-long struggle with my body, feelings of isolation, the battle to recognize beauty, a quest for intimacy, and sense of acceptance through the camera’s eye. ‘eleven years’ was started in order for davis to reflect on her life and to tell her story of how she overcame her insecurities.
The light in this image is natural, which seeps through a gap and allows some light to shine on the face, illuminating the features. This aspect is truly beautiful and idyllic. It contrasts with the way that davis feels about herself and how society might view her. The colours are very subtle and plain. The image is framed nicely, and the face is just off centre which draws the viewers eye towards it. A question that is created by this image is one of, what is she thinking about? What is running through her mind during this image was being taken? Is she thinking about how she feels about herself? Is she reflecting on how she felt during a part of her life? This aspect is unknown to the viewer but is what makes the image so powerful. This aspect is under the interpretation of the viewer and the viewer only.
links
https://www.lightwork.org/archive/jen-davis/