Leasha Overturf

http://www.edelmangallery.com/Overturf/overturf.htm

I came across Leasha's work when I was looking up something else.

I have been doing self-portraits for over 15 years. About 5 years ago I started having a different regard for my changing body. I was quickly approaching middle age as well as dealing with my feelings of my photographer husband photographing other women nude.

On top of these feelings, I also was dealing with great confusion over my younger sister having a bunch of plastic surgery done on a body I thought was perfectly beautiful.

I started documenting my body in a literal and stark way, just to watch it change. I needed to come to terms with the changes.

Then one day my photographer husband asked me to start posing for him in the role of different women for a project about himself that he was producing. Being a photographer myself, I wanted to participate in his project to help him but after a few sessions it brought up many emotions for me.

I have always dealt with a lack of confidence in myself and my body, and playing the role of different women kind of drove my lack of confidence to a new place. And, it actually made me questions all of my selves - the self-conscious self vs. the confident self. Occasionally putting on a wig let me be loose with all of my ideas and thoughts.

Was I myself "okay" as I was? Did I need to change my body? Why did my younger sister feel the need to change her body? Why are so many women not happy with themselves? Does my husband love me as I am? Who are these other women he is photographing? Am I happy with myself? And the list went on and on.

I realized that I no longer could only document my body in a stark and literal way, but also I needed to photograph my emotions, my relationship, and my many selves.