Catherine DiLeo
Reiterations, 2021
Photography, Pen on Paper
Dimensions variable
My series, Reiterations attempts to answer the question: Who would I be if I wasn’t me? The work consists of a group of self portrait photographs, in which I’m interacting with a number of objects, both found and made. These objects include two small paper mache versions of myself, a dartboard, a knitted blanket, a black veil, a mirror, large spikes, candles, a cat, a chair and a stool among others. Not every object is in every photo, but many make more than one appearance. I started from the concept of props because of their reliance on context. This same reliance means that when the supposed contexts interfere, the meaning of the photo becomes more difficult to decipher because the supposed use of the object counteracts its apparent use.
Snapshot, a split second of a seemingly longer event or narrative, is a word often associated with photography. In this project the snapshots do not have a narrative - not in my mind or real life. Presumably the elements of the photos and the writing will give the viewers an opportunity to construct their own narrative, with their own associations and references, but there is no correct answer, or no thread to trace through the photographs, regardless of that fact that there is overlap.
The process of naming the Reiterations helped to inform the direction of this project. Naming is how we distinguish people and objects and ideas, and by creating names for other people, I could separate parts of myself, real and fake, and fill the names up with them and empty them back out, like a game of dress up. I have long lists of fake names, not necessarily meant for anyone specific, but able to take on personality aspects at a moment’s notice. Naming removes my influence from the characters I create; they could be anyone in the world the viewer just hasn’t met yet, and on paper there is no relation to Catherine DiLeo.
I was primarily inspired by the photography of Claude Cahun and the book Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino. Cahun’s work is often self portraiture filled with objects that the viewer is sure hold meanings, but is subjective to each who views it. I recreate this with objects that hold meaning to me, but in the hands of each alter ego take on a different function. Invisible Cities characterizes the spirit of a fictional city on each page, with no significant overarching plot. In my work, I do the same with imagined people, but the overarching plot is my own identity and experiences, as all the people stem from myself.
In each photograph I embody an alter ego who has many of the same traits as myself, but a different identity. Accompanying the photos are short written pieces outlining a facet of the person I am depicting. The written work is either typed or handwritten, some with drawings/ self portraits to supplement. The photographs and drawings contradict the naming and writing. To anyone who knows me, these are self portraits - but to anyone who does not, they are portraits of Sage Bronson, Ricky Lantana, or Lincoln Clifford, who just happen to look alike. In both the making and the viewing this piece, one is forced to reconcile the performed self and the real self. I made this piece to discuss the process of being seen, and how context and information can often be misleading. There is no way to see the self in full, and by separating aspects into different personas, I, along with the audience, will gain insight into the multiple facets that make up a singular self.
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