The beauty of the modern self

by Arianna Chirico

 

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Raise his hand who never has been in crisis with himself.

”The modern crisis of the self” is the title of a collection of Imogen Freeland, in which she explores the social confines of contemporary living. Each portrait reconstructs a moment from everyday life. The settings are familiar and each composition is designed to offer a different set of circumstances surrounding themes of uncertainty, detachment and loss. The series captures an enigmatic portrayal of the female form that provokes debate about the stifling confines of contemporary culture and perceptions of the body, social identity and conformity.

Imogen is a fine art and photographer based in London, who works exploring often personal, relatable and humanist topics with an alluring sensitivity.

She said: ”the project was made at a time when I was extremely unwell. I felt isolated and frustrated in my own body and the work was an emotional response. In particular it is interested in inspiring thought about the confines of urban environments, isolation and perceptions of the naturally changing female form”. 

In this difficult period we are experiencing, during a worldwide pandemic that has lasted for 9 months now, we are all forced to stay in loneliness and I am so close to her work, because the time spent alone gives to everyone the possibility to look inside and to analyze herself.

I examine my body, but especially my soul, to find human identity and intimacy. The hours spent in solitude, at home, with the world outside, makes my feelings confused and profound. 

I realized that the relationship with our body determines the way we look at it. 

Metaphorically, the body could be a dream house or a prison, Eden or Hell. We need to love it, to take care of it, to eat good, to train and to feel good and self-confident; but all these actions are for us, for well-being, for a good relationship with the body that houses our soul, not to please others. And it's okay if our body, whatever it is, is not like a model's, as long as we feel comfortable with it.

One can perceive a trend that is moving in this direction, it is spreading a general inclination to reject the standardization by western canon of the female body, towards a more inclusive beauty. Social media has amplified the voices of minority communities: so everyone can share her philosophy or her ideas, protesting to open a beauty’s door wider. They are part of the mainstream beauty narrative. 

Beauty is personal, but it is also universal. 

We are all beautiful in our imperfections, which make us unique.

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