Proposal

After hearing proposals from the rest of the class today I was inspired to select a topic that is more personal and relevant to my current life. I am selecting this topic based on a recent experience of mine that left me reevaluating a lot of things about myself and my friends and society as a whole. I experienced a situation where I felt extremely out of control.
I've always felt really comfortable with my sexuality and sex, but this experience was like a chemical reaction, in a way. An entirely new element has been created from the combination of events that took place in my life. However, I don't want the focus of this project to be on myself...I am merely using my experience as a guideline, as a starting point to relate to others and understand their situations. I want to research victim blaming and the stigmas attached to rape. Also, I am interested in the views of establishments such as the VCU student health department and I'm curious to work with them because I question some of their methods.

The Manger, Gertrude Kasebier

I chose this image by Gertrude Kasebier because the quality of light that she employs is beautiful. Initially, I was drawn to the abstract artists, because I can relate more conceptually to their work, but this piece, The Manger, is stunning. The soft focus is engaging and the same softness enhances the tenderness between the subject and her child. The light from the window hitting the white drape over the mother and infant creates this amazing diffused light that is just as effective as any studio lighting. The negative space in the background is clean and simple and doesn't draw any attention from the subject. It's a beautiful image.