Conversations with Myself

This series of self portraits is an examination of looking, back, in, out and around, at how I arrived at this place in time. It is work that stimulates conversation about the courage to search and ask questions about the self with will, tenacity, strength and resilience. Within its layers are the past and the present, struggles and resolution, confusion and clarity and defeat and possibility. Emotionally and politically I have mined deep feelings and reflected on time and its passage, all the while embracing the abundance in life while juggling the emotional and physical demands and responsibilities of marriage, motherhood and career, through the lens of the inner child of the 50's, teen of the 60's, young adult of the 70's, (and adulthood of all the ensuing decades). Using a collection of inherited and adopted clothing and ephemera, I drape myself in these remnants from my past and conjure up a character in an imagined scenario and perform for the camera. I draw my inspiration from visual and emotional memories, film, television and magazine images, conflating then onto now. The process of making the work has connected me more deeply with my mother and myself and enriched all my relationships. It has been a powerful experience to see and hear from viewers as they see themselves in my images, along with their mothers, sisters, aunts and grandmothers.

© Jo Ann Chaus - Shutters
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Shutters

© Jo Ann Chaus - Branch Brook
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Branch Brook

© Jo Ann Chaus - Stone Wall
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Stone Wall

© Jo Ann Chaus - Queen
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Queen

© Jo Ann Chaus - Brooklyn
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Brooklyn

© Jo Ann Chaus - Yellow Coat
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Yellow Coat

© Jo Ann Chaus - Green Scarf
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Green Scarf

© Jo Ann Chaus - Balcony
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Balcony

© Jo Ann Chaus - Party Dress
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Party Dress

© Jo Ann Chaus - Car Window
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Car Window

© Jo Ann Chaus - White Coat
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White Coat

© Jo Ann Chaus - Waiting
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Waiting

© Jo Ann Chaus - Kitchen Sink
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Kitchen Sink

© Jo Ann Chaus - House dress
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House dress

© Jo Ann Chaus - Green Dress
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Green Dress

© Jo Ann Chaus - Slip
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Slip

© Jo Ann Chaus - Stained Glass
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Stained Glass

© Jo Ann Chaus - Ties
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Ties

© Jo Ann Chaus - Trunk
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Trunk

© Jo Ann Chaus - Daisy's Grill
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Daisy's Grill

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