Daria Deshuk: Artist Statement 

“Meeting Narcissus”

“The myth of Narcissus has been a rich vein for artists to mine for at least two thousand years, beginning with the Roman poet Ovid (book III of Metamorphoses.”

In my own work, I too, have revealed the influence of the romantic Narcissus through my new series: Meeting Narcissus. The setting took place in East Hampton at a local park, where I unintentionally unfolded the mythological story of a young girl discovering her own Narcissus.  The model, a young girl of seventeen, was wearing a dress that I had designed to be a romantic decoration for a benefit Event.  The model walked around the park as directed, adoring her self in nature, while I followed with my camera.  Unscripted she met herself in the reflection of a pond and the story became more than a simple "tale."

The young girl, who became the Narcissus, transcended the classical story of the past into a modern romanticism of “Healthy Self Love” through the lens.  I acknowledge ideas from the Age of Enlightenment and Romanticism, through the iconic fairy image and also incorporate an essence of spirituality and the evolution of the souls journey. 

As a fine artist, entering the new frontier of Photoshop in Photography, I took it upon myself to learn all that I could about transforming photos in Photoshop. I explore the challenges by breaking boundaries through color and form and was shocked and amazed by the newfound freedom I had access to.  In the process, I redefined myself as a contemporary figurative artist and like an icon from the Age of Enlightenment; each image takes on characteristics that go against the grain in standard photography.

Telling the story of the popular myth and the transformation that takes place in nature and art of what it means to be human is in every essence a timeless story of evolution and self  discovery, the search for truth and spirituality in Art and Life.