Artist Statement
The Wild 6. 2021Edition Size 5. Image Size 16x16. Framed Size 28x28.
Click here for the Mushroom photography series.
Photography opened my eyes to the beauty and fragility of the world around me. After I left the structured corporate environment and changed genders, it allowed me to explore and develop my creativity. This sparked a new energy, passion, and excitement in my life that continues to grow today and is reflective in the body of my artwork.
After experimenting with colored film, using a 35mm camera, I was introduced to black and white film. Switching to black and white, I eliminated the distraction of color. This has allowed me to interact with the subjects by focusing on textures, shapes, forms, staging, and the application of light creating expressive images. I now use a medium format film camera.
I describe my process as painting with light. A painter interacts with the subject and express their personal feelings through the application of paint on the canvas. The painter can visualize as the image is being completed. In my case, I use two light sensitive canvases: film and photographic paper. Unlike the painter, I am unable to visualize the image during the process, only when it is completed.
To achieve the expressive prints, I control the tonal range (from the blackest blacks to the whitest whites and everything in between) by managing the amount and quality of light through aperture and filters, and exposure times. During the printing process, exposure times are determined for specific sections of the print.
Unlike inkjet prints, traditional silver gelatin prints have more depth and warmth. Exploiting this depth and warmth through my composition and lighting skills, I create images with a sensual feel ranging from the subtle to the overt.
Today, I select my subjects based on what speaks to me emotionally and feature floral, mushroom, and pear studies. My mission is to capture and present a unique perspective that engages the viewer and embodies a concept or tells a story. My floral studies are sensual and erotic with the images presented on a white background taking on the look of a sketch or painting. My abstract images of the mushroom take on a sensual out-of-this-world feeling. My innovative pear images are playful, mischievous, fanciful, and sensual.
My floral studies are often compared with those of Robert Mapplethorpe and Georgia O'Keeffe. It has been said that my mushroom images are reminiscent of Edward Weston’s "Bell Pepper" series. From a style perspective, my artwork has evolved to echo that of the Group f/64 members. However, I continue to develop my own unique artistry by experimenting with different approaches presenting new and innovative artwork.
