In addition to being a visual artist, I am also a certified skin analyst with a new technology called SAM (Skin Analyzer and Magnifier) machine. This machine uses safe black light technology to reveal the under surface of your skin. I can read what is happening to your skin and make recommendations as to what conditions will enhance your skin’s appearance and make you look and feel younger and stay healthier in the long run.
As the baby boomers grow older, there is an increased awareness for staying young. We are aging differently from our parents. We wear more contemporary clothing, our hairstyles reflect the current trends, we spend millions of dollars a year on keeping in shape and looking good, and of course, the cosmetic industry moves quickly to meet our demands.
This body of works makes a statement on that increased awareness to stay young.
Let’s reveal the real person under the make-up and reveal what is really happening with the skin.
We have changed our environment so much that it is constantly attacking our bodies with free radicals and is altering our chemical balances.
These works reveals not only what lies under our skin but also how we all differ from each other from the core of our bone structure to the last bit of make-up or skin care product applied.
Some models have make-up on, some won’t. Some have clean faces; some have skin problems such as sun and DNA damage. Some show signs of aging and poor circulation, while others have perfect skin texture and tone.
And the interaction of the model, the machine and the camera make for obvious expressions.
I am very inspired by looking at these faces, as a portrait/figure artist, it became apparent to me that I need to use this new way of looking a faces as part of a new body of work.
What are these portraits saying to me?
How does it affect the model when they view themselves in the mirrors inside the machine?
How do others view them?
What are faces really made out of and how do we perceive ourselves?
Does this reflect our society and our need for perfection in these modern times?
What kind of damage have we done to ourselves due to our damaged environment?
This series of works has answered these questions.
I tired to simulate the experince of being in SAM machine by using light boxes, flip books and a slide show.
As an artist I have been intrigued with this process and encourage others to experience it as well. So if you are interested in experiencing this machine’s technology, please feel free to contact me. It’s very enlightening.
I took over 325 images and these are just a few.
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