The art of Kalliope Amorphous

Self-portraits are inevitable, because I am the only one capable of accurately expressing the images that take shape in my mind. However, I have a hard time identifying with my work as "self" portraiture, because all of these characters and personalities are their own. I just try to give them life for a moment, acting as a screen for these various identities, moods and personalities to play on. My ideas tend to be conceptually eclectic, ranging from interpretations of pre-existing iconography to the surreal, bizarre and spiritually symbolic. I am inspired by everything from Pre-Raphaelite art to psychotronic cult films.

I do not consider myself a photographer, but rather a performance artist with a camera. Using a combination of light, makeup, wigs, costumes, props and physical nuance I create a multiplicity of identities and freeze them in the still photograph. I want to push the boundaries of what I define as self and other by playing with ideas of identity, gender and archetype and the myriad ways in which they can be represented. I am inspired and fascinated by all of the subtle variations in mood and character that human beings are capable of. I can more deeply explore these moods and archetypes by physically transforming into them for a moment in time.