Created as a participatory art concept in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in 2009, the Self-Portrait Project is a system and method for self-representation using a camera, two-way mirror, and remote control. Within this system, a camera shoots through the transparent side of a two-way mirror, with the participant located on the reflective side. Using a remote control, the participant chooses how and when to capture themself.

In the simple act of letting the model be photographer, the dynamic of the photo changes – as does the energy – and therefore the final image. Giving someone who is accustomed to having their picture “taken” the opportunity to document their own likeness on their own terms produces images which address issues of vanity and insecurity, empowerment and self-esteem, superficiality and substance. As the photographer and model, you are wholly responsible for the images you create of yourself.