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Joie Bauman is a young, emerging writer and photographer from Holmdel, New Jersey who is currently pursuing a degree in psychology and social work. When she is not writing or creating, you can find Joie coaching track and field or gymnastics, CrossFitting, or napping with her four dogs. Her work is set to appear or has recently been published in Serendipity Literary Magazine, The Esthetic Apostle, and the Same.
Artist’s Statement: I have long been enamored with both the human form and lighting’s ability to alter the tone of an image. Although I believe that each body has a unique beauty to it, I often struggle to recognize any beauty in my own. From early on in my teenage years, it was known that I could always be found behind a lens of a camera but never in front of one. However, as my relationship with my body began moving from negative to a more neutral state, I decided to experiment with self-portraiture. By acting as both photographer and subject, I was forced to recognize my body, not as some grotesque figure seated in front of a camera, but as a form with lines and shape …
In this collection of photos, I chose to shoot parts of my body that I feel most insecure about—my face, self-harm scars, and stomach. My light source was filtered through a red-tinted mason jar. I felt that the color best communicated the anxiety and hostility I feel towards my body most days.
