Annie Guddat, part 1

“Art expresses the unspoken pieces of its creator.”

In a previous post, I wrote about how art allows us to express ourselves without words.  As an observer, by choosing to bring art into your life, you are quietly sending a signal to others about how you fundamentally view yourself.   Artists, through the act of creating art, are able to express their inner selves and their worldview in ways they might never be able to articulate through words.

Many people go through the motions of everyday life while working to keep part of themselves hidden.  Being vulnerable to others is a behavior that humans tend to quickly shy away from, and we often hide our true selves behind whatever mask we choose to wear.  Annie Guddat, a creative portrait photographer based in Reno, Nevada, challenges this concept through her art.   “I am constantly reminded by the tendency a lot of us have of being present with those around us, yet not fully revealing our true selves,” Annie says.

 

Photo credit:  Annie Guddat

Annie’s dark and moody photographs invite the viewer to reflect on his or her own true self and question what is kept hidden from others.  Annie expresses that, “like most artists, I feel my art reflects things about myself. My interest in not revealing our true selves comes from a fear that I am not or cannot be my true self around others at times. The darkness in my photos reveals the rejection & loneliness that could potentially come with that. My work shows my struggles of having comfort in my identity, but I don’t tell most people that. I want to leave it open for interpretation, because what may be meaningful to me could be meaningful to someone else in a completely different way.”

“And I want my art to affect people,” she says.  Like all impactful art, it does.  Check out Annie Guddat’s Instagram profile to see more of her deep and insightful photographs.