When she began
collecting old
photographs, birthe
specifically looked for
formal portraits, so
that her viewers could
build a connection to the
individual’s face and what
lies beneath it.unsettled... she felt like she was merely
hitting the surface. “There was something
in me that was looking for a new approach
in the way I photographed. I kept thinking
of all the photos that I made of people,
and continued pondering over what they
actually tell.”
While she was shooting for Lying Still,
she began collecting vintage photographs
from various sources, even online.
The idea for Mimesis (2012) was then born,
where she wanted to express human
identity and her view of the photograph as
an object. “I began to play with the images,
and all of a sudden I felt that something
was happening there.”Each photograph was given a different
treatment, and there was a lot of trial and
error involved. While some of her images
are cut up, others are folded in a particular
manner. She wasn’t just looking to create
something unusual, neither was she going
for shock value. The images were meant
to be reminders for reassessing our need
to make several photographs to validate
our experiences.brimming with Creativity
Looking back at her work, it is worth
noting how Birthe has explored the
concept of identity in different ways.
Taking inspiration from different artists,she spent a lot of
time in thrift stores and
craft outlets, collecting
materials like fabric and
glitter for Mimesis.she would spend
several hours on a
photograph to decipher
its story. Questions like
“Who is this person?”
and “What is specific
to this person?”
were common.Mimesis is an ongoing
project. she hopes to take
her viewers “beyond their
usual, conditioned way of
seeing and feeling.”102
Better PhotograPhy march 2015Profile