Since 25 January 2022, I have been on 10 mg of Lexapro, an antidepressant medication used to treat my general anxiety disorder. As a result, most of my anxiety has resolved and is no longer manifested in ways that disrupt my everyday life. However, it has come with other changes in my brain chemistry that make it difficult to decide if they are worth taking. In order to make a decision like that, I would have to assess what is most important to me. Through this project, I hope to make that more clear for myself as well as other people going through a similar experience.

Diluted explores the version of myself that I have became, somewhat less of the person I was before. It dives into three main aspects of my life where I have felt the most dissociated: sex, relationships/friendships, and my own body and consciousness.

Dissociation and indifference toward the people and experiences in my life has been the most noticeable result of the medication, even more so than the lack of anxiety. It has began to affect the people in my life and be prominent to others apart from myself. I have also dissociated from sex in a more emotional sense as well as my body and consciousness. With relationships, I am lucky enough to be open with the people I am closest to. This allows them to try and understand the way I have been acting. This helps to alleviate some of the guilt I have been experiencing. The two aspects that only involve myself are far more difficult because it is something I have to face alone, which has been isolating.

These emotions have been the foundation on which Diluted has emerged. My own performative act of having to convince myself that I can still have fun and enjoy living, feel something, mirrors the need to use performance as an instrument to achieve authentic emotion.

Bio: Lindsey Curabba (2000)  is a multimedia artist specializing in photography and design based in New Jersey. She works with both mediums, sometimes blending the two and other times keeping them separate. In her recent artwork, she uses film photography so as to tell a story and a process in and of itself. Recurring themes include; identity, sexuality, and her own feminine and queer experience. Her art aims at creating a safe environment for open and honest conversations. She hopes to make relatable work and create shared experiences with her and her viewers.

Growing Animosity is a series of photographs that narrates a story of a doomed relationship, consumed by emotional abuse. Rather than creating a film, a cinematic experience is achieved by means of photography. The body of work features a four-stages series of images portraying a relationship’s journey. The first phase represents the honeymoon period, where all is well amongst the happy couple. The second and third phase show the downfall of the relationship, while the fourth and final phase deals with the end of the relationship and the woman left alone. This idea stems from the realization that a toxic understanding of love can be harmful.

The woman is shown being treated poorly alongside an abusive male, and then emphasis is placed on the detrimental effects the emotional abuse created on her mental health during daily life cycles. A digital camera set to a high ISO is used in order to create a grain effect, giving the story a vintage effect. The consistent use of warm tones also contributes to the vintage and retro

Bio: Carly Frommer (2002) is a New York City and Florence based visual artist. Her artwork conveys a narrative portrayed through composition. Using a digital camera and a classic processing technique, Frommer creates vintage and retro style photographs in a storyboard format. Common themes in her work include relationships, sexuality, and femininity, often bringing attention to somber, uncomfortable, and sensitive topics. Currently, she is obtaining a BA in Digital Media and Visual Communications with a focus on Photography at the Florence University of the Arts – The American University in Florence.

On a walk through Florence during fall of 2021, I stumbled across Daniela’s salon. I found it to be quite cute and instantly recognized just how she incorporated her own identity into her small business through its style and her relationship with her clients. I began to spend time with her and her clients, shooting photos of what I experienced with them. Her openness and warmheartedness allows her long-term clients to feel comfortable and confident in getting their hair done while also having a genuine personal experience with a friend. This body of work explores the power of one’s identity and the impact that their relationship with clients has on their business, and in turn what effect that has on their career overall.
These photos were shot naturally, because not only was I there capturing these moments, but I was very much a part of the moments. I had the pleasure of getting to know Daniela and meeting a handful of her close-knit clients as well. I could see the connection she had with everyone, and how she made me feel just as welcomed to be there, too.
The series includes a combination of portraits, candid photos, and setting imagery to show sincere moments between everyone in the salon, while also getting a feel for the familiar environment around them. With Daniela as the main subject, the viewer can tell by her expressions and poses just how warm and welcoming she is. One of my main influences for this body of work was the role that my own hairdresser played throughout my life. Since he is also my mother’s hairdresser, I have gone to him since a young age and he has watched me grow up in a way that not many people have. The bond you can have with people you connect during this intimate practice is surely unique and the comfort they give you is what makes it such a nice experience. The photo that represents this feeling the most is oDaniela’s client, B rigetta, looking at her lovingly. This image really shows just how special this role is, and how Daniela plays an important role in her life through this relationship that is more than just business .
Throughout the series of photos, it can be seen that powerful small business owners can achieve not only success within their business, but fulfillment from their career when being themselves, valuing the relationships they have, and making their clientele feel highly cared for.

Artist Bio: Born in Massachusetts in 1998, Taylor Samuels is a photographer shooting mostly digital fashion and documentary-style bodies of work. She is now graduating with a BA in Digital Media from Florence University of the Arts. Her art explores themes such as identity, genuinity, and personal style. She strives to capture fashion-esque outlooks of individuals through a documentary approach. The artist’s series “Daniela”, following a local Florentine hair stylist, will be exhibited at the Ganzo School Restaurant throughout May, 2022.