2003

Clemency

Jen Davis

American, born 1978

For this picture, Davis photographed herself in the soft morning light as she gazed out an open window. Although the pensive scene seems to be unposed, it is actually a carefully constructed exploration of beauty, desire, and self-consciousness. Davis uses images like these to recreate and reflect on moments from her personal life.

The artist explains, "In this body of work, I deal with my insecurities about my body image and the direct correlation between self-perception and the way one is perceived by others." Her pictures recall the experience of vulnerability in a society that often dictates a person’s self-worth based on the way they look.