Jenn Zauflik
Un-introduction
Un-introduction is a deeper rendering of my personal thoughts and identity, as a woman, an artist, and a human being. This collection of photographic collages mends with tangible objects to create a sculptural portrait of oneness. We oftentimes introduce ourselves based on the physicality of our lives. Un-introduction questions the call for action of a familiar encounter, testing a deeper understanding of how we present ourselves.
My approach to artmaking practice is one rooted in alternative process. It is important to my practice to explore and experiment with material, methodology and to analyze ideas from multiple viewpoints. My photography is formulated through storytelling, and the metaphorical thought of seeing a photograph like glass, the connections, compositions, and textures, but also being able to see past it, what lies beyond. Through my experimental work process, I hope to gain not only skills but achieve the goal of formulating an artistic identity for myself.
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I am a very process driven artist. For my thesis, I wanted to create visual representations of phrases that I would use to describe myself, but I wouldn’t actually use if I was introducing myself to someone. I incorporated “I Am” into every sketch since the idea of an “un-introduction” is a self-declaration of who you are further than the person you indicate on the surface. This was an important factor since I incorporated these phrases through glass engraving and not in the sketch itself. These sketches further developed when I interlaced photographs into them, like a collage. I wanted to use photographs that had some symbolic connection to me and my journey through self-identity. I wanted to incorporate that element of natural lighting into my project, which sparked the idea of placing these transparent panels onto windows. I developed the idea further by finding reclaimed window units. This allowed me to not only be able to utilize a transparent surface but one that could be portable. I could now take these sculptural pieces into environments, they were no longer 2-dimensional pictures.
