Sunday, January 29, 2012

#109 Susan Knight

Susan Knight, Quiet the voices within, photograph (2010)



Quiet the voices within, by Canadian artist Susan Knight, is one of hundreds of self-portraits taken over a five year span. 


The small photograph, measuring five by five inches, is part of a ‘self-portrait a day’ project—an idea started somewhat vicariously by Roman Opalka with 1965 / 1 - ∞. The concept was perfected by Karl Baden’s Every Day project and made popular through the likes of Noah Kalina

Knight, a trained interior designer and self-taught photographer from Medicine Hat, Alberta, creates what she calls interpretive self-portraiture—portraits for which the sitter, here the artist, reenacts a part or represents a persona. Many of her photos are highly decorative as Knight employs costumes, props and heavy make up.

Quiet the voices within, along with three other works belonging to a small series entitled Left and Leaning, differs significantly. The background is blank, the costume is missing and Knight’s fair skin is interrupted only by her bright eyes and (of course) the chocolate marks of a hand.

The photograph is both playful and contemplative. “It is less about someone external trying to silence me,” confirms Knight “than it is about me trying to silence my own thoughts. Specifically thoughts of inferiority or not belonging.”

Like the works of Opalka, Baden and Kalina, this photograph marks not only the result of a daily task, that of having to shoot a self-portrait each day; it becomes a work of self-reflection.


Postlude
Susan Knight’s work is as prolific as her unrestrained web presence. She manages four facebook accounts (a,b,c,d), one blog, two websites (a,b), accounts on formspring, Linkedin, flickr, twitter, redbubble, LibraryThing and model REPUBLIC. She also has vemo, klout and behance accounts. Lastly, Knight’s work is posted on JPG, Etsy and blurb. (Note that none of the links open the actual sites—they simply captured Knight's web presence through screenshots taken on January 24, 2012) 

Sources:
Knight, Susan. “About.” Susan Knight: artist. n.d. Web. 24 Jan. 2012.
Knight, Susan. Personal interview. 22 Jan. 2012.

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