Finding Yourself at Home Alone
July 2013
Having just opened in the past few days, Pia Johnson’s new photographic series Finding Yourself at Home Alone presents a selection of intimate self-portraits that encourage the viewer to think about the traditional idea of the home as a place of refuge.
We understand home to be a safe and familiar place, surrounded by our belongings and cultural codes; home confirms who we are. Turning these notions on their head, Johnson delves into a world where isolation and loneliness overwhelm, and the sense of identity becomes fragmentary.
The works ask more questions than deliver answers, with a range of larger compositions containing Johnson – constructed within the frame – to segmented body parts and finally ordinary household objects given life through her unique perspective. On the whole the images retain a quiet cinematic distance with a melancholic mood. And yet, glimpses of chaos and fear are equally present revealing a fragile inner landscape.
“This is my most revealing work to date,” Johnson explains, “Turning the camera onto oneself is very intimidating. At the same time it gave me more freedom to experiment and explore different spaces and the body in a way you can’t always do when photographing another person or model.”
The exhibition at Stockroom Gallery in Kyneton is the premiere showing of the full body of work which has already garnered attention in the United States. Johnson is also known for her commercial photography, along with her series of close-up portraits of half-Chinese half-Australians Who’s the Chinese lady that picks you up from school? (2009). The series toured nationally including the National Gallery of Victoria, Queensland Centre of Photography, Sydney’s Chinalink Gallery, Melbourne International Fine Art (MiFA), and fortyfivedownstairs in Melbourne.
Pia Johnson: Finding Yourself At Home Alone shows at Stockroom Gallery, Kyneton until August 4.
stockroomkyneton.com
piajohnson.com
Images:
All photography by Pia Johnson
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