The Mylar series refined into DIVIDED SELFS, a take on the aleatory nature of self-identity in dissociative disorder and public performance. The mylar series is presented here exactly as the image came out of the camera. This series started as an analog process shot into reflective Mylar over the course of two weekends in New York and Los Angeles, and continues as an ongoing project. Up until now, the series was chosen by editors based on their own criteria. The process of shooting into reflective Mylar was originally “invented” by the poet/photographer Ira Cohen in the late 1960s. A psychedelic inspired process that was conceived around the same time as other were exploring the idea of creating your own persona or images. Also referenced in the work is the anti-psychologist R. D. Laing, who in the 1960s and 70s studied the role of the nuclear family myth on mental illness, specifically schizophrenia and what was then known as multiple personality disorder. We now know these events come as a coping mechanism for identity to survive, usually because of childhood trauma pre five years old. The updated hypothesis of this series is the mylar somehow shows us what we do not see, revealing the fragmentary nature of creating personas often for survival. This series continues as an artistic exploration of identity in all of its forms and what the lens-based reflective technique can tell us about the hidden identities we all try to cover ourselves with to stay whole.

** This edition will be published November 2024. Each edition is made to order.