Society dictates that we live our lives within a three-foot bubble of personal space. I’m exploring what we look like within a three-inch bubble. The only people who get to see us that close are our mothers and lovers, but even they don’t typically examine us that closely. Looking at someone that close, naked, without makeup, or Photoshop is the most vulnerable of a portrait of exactly who we are. It is not something everyone is comfortable sharing.
I use a macro lens to photograph every inch of a person’s skin, print them full frame, and collage them together. The resulting image is of profound detail and size that have never been seen before. From a distance the viewer sees a typical photograph. As the work is approached the image takes on a new dimension, where every hair, freckle and pore can be counted.
The mass media shows us images that are retouched, airbrushed, and altered in various ways to show us a level of beauty we are comfortable with. My work shows that it is the unique flaws of the individual that truly show us who we are.
© Aaron Ansarov, All Rights Reserved
