Joan of Arc (Jehanne d’Arc) is a historical figure often misunderstood by modern pop culture. Born in Domrémy, France, during the Hundred Years’ War, she grew up on her father’s farm. At 13, she claimed St. Michael and his angels appeared in her garden; she wept, desiring to be taken with them. Throughout her life, she was guided by visions of St. Michael and the voices of St. Margaret and St. Catherine, who were both virgin saints and martyrs. These saints’ virtues inspired her, and their fates foreshadowed her own. Some experts speculate she may have suffered from schizophrenia or epilepsy, but the exact nature of her condition remains uncertain. Regardless, the focus should be on the legacy she left behind. This project intends to encourage reflection on Joan’s story and why she lived her life the way she did.
“To be human is to be beautifully flawed” – Eric Wilson
Oftentimes when we think about portraiture, we imagine the model with perfectly done and styled hair, and flawless makeup to cover up imperfections, along with some editing in post-production just to make sure everything is picture perfect. We are so quick to label anything less than perfect as “flaws” or “imperfections”. These portraits are supposed to represent who these models are as people; however, at the end of the day, people are full of flaws and imperfections. That is what makes people human beings. We are all just humans, so why do we hide what makes us real people? The purpose of this project is to showcase that there is just as much beauty in “imperfection” and “flaws” by creating portraits of people in their most natural state. Bare face with no makeup, natural hair, no walls to put up who they want to become, but showcasing who they really are. Photography has become about creating an image of perfection, and in the process we take away everything that makes us human, so does it really represent who we are?