Self Portraiture is at the heart of Brooke Shadens work. Her fine art style is driven by her personal battle with social anxiety, using the process of capturing the photos as a way of coping. Her reason for using herself within her images comes from being more comfortable photographing herself than others.
Also being a motivational speaker, Shaden uses social media as a platform to get her message across. Often, she pairs the images she takes with writing describing the reason for constructing the photograph. Quotes she has read influence her work massively, resulting in a fantasy style throughout her work. There appears to be a ‘darkness’ to her work, with the images often feeling uncomfortable to view. However, this is something that appeals to me and is a technique I have previously used within my own photography. As I am portraying what it is like to suffer with social anxiety, I intend for the viewers to feel on edge.
Shaden’s work is heavily edited, which is something that I do not want to do within my own work. Although I do find her work visually appealing, the concept and reasons for producing her work inspire me more. The combination of nature with the body is something that I feel works strongly, often looking to combine the two within my work which is something that I have previously experimented with a would like to do so further.
Final Major Project Kirsty Powell 