The adolescent girls of USES’ Artful Transformations Program (ATP) are experiencing a very formative period in their lives.  In homelife and at school, they are trying to find their own voice and their own place amidst the turmoil that characterizes identity formation.  In addition to the common trials of adolescent girls, all of the ATP participants are undergoing struggles and challenges that merit great attention and understanding.  The girls are referred to the program with the hope that through the encouragement of trained art therapists, staff, and student interns, their unique identities might be realized and molded through artistic expression.

In formulating a large format photography project with the girls, I wanted to focus on identity and in three different categories: the ATP self, the Outside ATP self (i.e. home and school self), and the Future Self.  Using large format camera caused the girls to become quiet and almost mesmerized in the foreignness of such an “old-fashioned” looking camera.  I asked them to first think, write, and draw how their three “selves” would be described.  Next, I asked them to pose as those three selves, reflecting what they had brainstormed.  After the negatives were developed and in light of the strong role art therapy plays in the program as well as my own desire for the project to be collaborative, I asked the girls to draw on the negatives with markers and small blades to reflect their reactions to the photographs.  What emerged is a glimpse into the life and identity formation of the ATP girls.

Ianna

Jetta

Chelsea

Katreena

Jasmin

Eleanor

Kiara

Kat