Brittany Demilio

by Stephanie Price

Brittany Demilio is finishing her study of photography at the Tyler School of Art in the spring of 2013. She has recently received the Caras Grant to continue the creation of her current body of work entitled “I and Thou”. The term “I and Thou” or “Ich and Du”comes from the theories of German philosopher and writer, Martin Buber. After years of making art, Brittany has found her interest in philosophy and literature inspires her photographic concepts. She defines the “I and Thou” theory as a relationship between subject and subject, where only the realness of the person is considered. The “I and It” relationship is also confronted in Brittany’s current body of work. Opposite of the “I and Thou” relationship is “I and It”, which Brittany describes as a subject to object relationship, that is a relationship lacking a genuine connection. In these works, Brittany picks a subject and takes two portraits of them. The first image is taken when she meets her subject. This image is a simple frontal portrait, that for the viewer and for Brittany, is empty of feeling and lacks awareness of the personality of the individual. This initial portrait is the representation of a “I and It” relationship. The only place that the viewer will come in contact with this image is in the book Brittany is making about the series. Otherwise She has no intention of showing the “I and It” portrait to the viewer in her up coming show of the series this spring. The second portrait is taken after a conversation is had between Brittany and her subject. This portrait is candid and taken when Brittany feels the relationship has developed into a “I and Thou” relationship. This picture allows the viewer to experience the raw nature of her subject. Brittany remembers each conversation she was engaged in when she captured the image that will be seen by the audience in her show. Although Brittany primarily works with photographic images, their will be a sculptural element in her spring show. The “I and Thou” portraits will also be lit by hand made light-boxes that will hang behind her images on the walls of her exhibition space. The “I and Thou” sculptural portraits will illuminate the presence of the models in Brittany’s show this spring.