Amy Adler's photographs examine notions of authorship. She selects photographs from her personal collection, and in some instances from magazines, then makes a life-sized pastel drawing of the figure. She proceeds to create a unique photograph of the work and destroys the original drawing. The end result is ghostly realistic, yet cartoonish cibachrome prints of pastel drawings. When Adler employs this method of redrawing to images of herself, she assumes the role of both photographer and model, allowing her the freedom to reconstruct her identity. She tests how the inclusion or exclusion of different elements and gestures alter the perceptions and assumptions of the audience. We never see the original photo, thus the artist retains total control over the information provided. The completed piece is a partial drawing, partial photograph, partial documentation, and partial fabrication of reality.

twin palms publishers
april 2005
14 x 17 inches
26 four-color plates
44 pages