Portrait nominee

This self portrait series, Bipolar 1 With A Gun, puts a real firearm in the hands of a 'crazy' person - the photographer herself - to portray the dangerous internal struggle of mental illness meeting with an external catalyst, a legally-purchased gun. These 1 to 3 second exposures were shot in the photographer's home, where she has successfully hidden her battle with Bipolar 1 with Psychosis from nearly everyone for years. This work is not a condemnation of the mentally ill, but rather a personal exposé intended as a reminder that one can never know what's going on in another's mind. For the mentally ill and everyone else, guns turn uncontrollable thought into fatal action. The true insanity is that we continue to let it happen.
I purchased the gun in this series legally; when I told the salesman I had Bipolar Disorder, he laughed and said ‘everybody’s got something’ as he handed me the gun.

To give the mentally ill access to killing machines is a true demonstration of insanity... But then, how do you actually know who is mentally ill?

Having concealed my psychosis, I am proof that you never know what’s going on inside someone’s mind. Even

Paula Dixon is a Los Angeles-based fine art photographer and graduate of the University of Southern California School of Cinema-Television and the Spéos Institute of Photography in Paris. Before she began a career in photography, Ms. Dixon got perfect SAT scores, played professional poker in casinos and Hollywood home games, and wrote for television comedy shows like “Saturday Night Live.” She loves to shoot.

The ND Awards - International - Honorable Mention - November 2014
Macquarie Photography Prize - Australia - Semi-Finalist - August 2014
The Zebra Awards - International - Finalist - April 2014
International Photography Awards - New York - Honorable Mention - Sept 2012
Arles Open Salon - Arles, France - Gallery Screening Selection - July 2012
Art Kudos International Competition - International - Finalist - July 2012
Px3 Prix de la Photographie Paris - Paris - Second Prize - May 2012
Donkey Art Prize - International - Finalist - May 2012
Camera USA National Photo Award - Naples, FL - Finalist - May 2012
Creative Quarterly - Publication - Winner - Spring 2012
International Photography Awards - New York, NY - Honorable Mention - June 2012 (...etc.)