Ambitions

Self portrait 1.

Clive Roberts, 05/06/56

Clive Roberts, 05/06/64, Mechanic

Clive Roberts, 05/06/09, Financial Advisor

Right so... as my project progressed and after a few group crits there was suggestion that more contrast was needed in my images and they were too much 'to the point' SO to get around this I have taken to creating images of my family but with me in the images. I am going to create a series of self portraits where I become the people of my family. Simular to the works of Sherman - in contrast though the people she depicts in her work and of no relation and also the works of Dita Pepe have inspired my project. In her work she takes images with men and creates scenarios of what her life could be like if one thing was different. In my images I am portraying my family and their ambitions and job choices. Seeing whether through the generations the ideas of what they want to do changes or whether it is simular through the same family.

The basis of this image is that the background is the garage setting and the foreground is myself in a suit, dressed as my Father who is currently a financial advisor. The tools on the road signify the spannering of mechanics and the road is a symbol of how the choices could have been made. When taking the images I had the help of a photo-whizz friend but I chose the framing and then jumped in the picture. In my right hand is my remote - it wouldn't reach to the camera so I simply put it in my hand. I wanted there to be a clue as to that this was a self portrait.

Excuse my horrendous english.