Kelli Connell is a contemporary American photographer originally from Oklahoma City, OK but now lives in Chicago. She creates self-portraits which she began doing in order to explore how photography can ask the viewer questions. Some of these questions and themes that she explores throughout her photography are identity, gender roles, and the societal expectations that are put on individuals.
Her photography only depicts two figures of which she is both.
I found it hard to pick three photos, because they’re all similar in content. Which means that while I thought some are better than others, there wasn’t like a collection that spoke to me. They’re all the same project, but anyways below are the one’s that truly stuck out to me.
Bed and Breakfast- 2010
The composition/colors are amazing in this one. Just aesthetically I love the contrast between the yellow and the turquoise that is scattered around the room and then matches her towel. There is also the relationship created in this one that appeals to me. Throughout all of the photos she is able to set these intimate moments and scenes which feel so real. This one especially with the positioning sets up this intimacy. It begs the viewer to contemplate the relationship between these two. Is it romantic? Or platonic? It’s up to you.
Eden
This one stuck out to me because of the personalities created through not only the clothing but also the body language and facial expressions. Connell is a master at having different enough expressions and posture that they really seem like different people. Costuming helps, but would not be as good alone. Here we see an example of the more overt use of clothing to express femininity or lack there of in the figure with the green shirt.
Rooftop
This too is another example of the use of clothing to express gender or femininity in women. This one I particularly like because of the positioning of the bodies and action that the figures are taking. The color composition and contrast between the saturation of their clothing also aids in this. The relationship here is also very convincing and intimate.
I think I like it so much because of the way the right figure is looking at the left. It’s an expression that i feel most hope someone will look at them with one day. It seems extremely genuine feeling as if this were a candid photo, although we know it is very calculated and deliberate.
Sunset
This one is more subtle. The differences between the figures are less apparent than in previous one’s in terms of costuming. These figures are both presented pretty femininely yet have different aesthetic values causing them to still be distinct characters that she is portraying. The expressions again, are done so well. She angles her face in a way that is kind of looks like she is a different person.
She has collections from a lot of different years and I think my favorite years are the collection from 2005-2006.
Looking at her photography and this ‘double life’ project that she has done throughout the years, is a helpful way to make me aware of all the factors that goes into these photos. It’s not just about the editing. As we talked about in class, it’s also about the costuming and posture/expression. With these photos she is so meticulous and capable of portraying different characters that is is something I hope to do in mine, and make sure I pay attention to all the little details so that it is effective.