Artist Statement

As a photographer who is interested in the potential that portraiture has to convey deeper meaning of a subject, this project is an opportunity to look at individuals from an abstract angle. Pushing myself out of my comfort zone of black-and-white photography, I decided to focus on impressionistic posing of my models combined with bold and colorful makeup in order to portray an overarching theme that plays with the concepts of astrology and spirituality.

I have a strong belief in the accuracy and deeper meaning of astrology. Using this fascination drove the research for my project. Research began with the twelve different zodiac signs: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. Each model is a representation of one of the twelve zodiac signs; this is through the use of fabrics in the colors associated with each sign as well as flowers attributed to the signs. The related props provide the framework for each portrait, while the posing is integrated to display personality traits that correlate.

Averi Cannon

About the Artist

First becoming interested in photography while taking a high school course in the darkroom, Averi Cannon works in a variety of photographic medias. Primarily focusing on black-and-white portraitures, she continues to explore ways she can expand her command of the medium while retaining true to her vision.

Averi’s work has been showcased multiple times in exhibitions form her high school in Allentown, Pennsylvania, including a large print that was in an art auction at her high school in 2018 after being curated by her teacher. A senior at Loyola University Maryland, Cannon is pursuing a degree in Speech Language Pathology with minors in Special Education and Photography.