I've always imagined a fictional version of myself painting this collection.

Fictional Gabby is also a bi-racial kid who spent most of her adolescence in an identity crisis. Never feeling "black enough," but also never feeling white.

Fictional Gabby chose to move out of her small north-western town and attend a large urban university as an art major. Although an introvert, she decides to break out of her shell to photograph and interview 35 students from around campus.

Her intent is to paint portraits.

As she moves her subjects from camera lens to cotton canvas, she is overcome with this strange feeling that they could see her, the real her, and feel her insecurities. At first they whispered. But, then it became a collective chant shouted through their gaze: "you are not a real artist." 

She decides to remove the oculus.

Through removing the gaze, fictional Gabby showcased both her own insecurity and the blind optimism experienced by her subjects. Optimism about the respect their credentials will yield. Optimism about who they are and what they are capable of achieving.

She could not relate to such conviction.